Ascension
by Skyward Princess of Time
Summary: Set many years in the future, an evil tyrant controls the world from the shadows. Princess Zelda must lead a resistance to reclaim her throne. AU. Zelink.
1. Awakening

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did… xD**

**"Ascension" is rated K+ for mild language and injury description. It is likely that the rating will be raised to "T" in later chapters.**

* * *

_**Ascension**_

_A Legend of Zelda Fanfiction_

Brainwashing is a scary thing.

For years, leaders attempted to create the perfect Utopian society. Everything was about being equal. Everyone received equal pay and worked the same hours. Every family could have two children. Technology was created so uneducated labor was not required. Every child had to attend school for a set amount of time and would then have their career path selected for them.

It was around this time that they discovered spiritual energy.

Using their new advanced technology, scientists probed deep into the human conscious. What made everyone different? What was the cause for one student to be dumb and the other to be smart? Why were some people simply good at everything, while others couldn't even walk out the front door without failing? These scholars found out that every Hylian possessed what was known as "spiritual energy." This energy was the source of their intelligence, natural ability, and overall personality. But what if one could use this energy in a physical form?

This question led to the development of the official royal army of Hyrule. These so-called "super heroes" were citizens with vast amounts of spiritual energy. From early childhood, they would receive special training and treatment that would allow them to hone their spiritual energy. This energy could in turn be used as weapons. Proper usage of one's spiritual energy could also lead to telepathy, mind-reading, and mind-control. It took severe training and a harsh lifestyle, but the result would be a perfect soldier. With his advanced weaponry, he could attack using only his mind. Since he had advanced healing abilities, it would be hard to kill him. With his mind control, he could learn secrets about the enemy. Soldiers didn't have to use spoken communication in order to relay orders or traps. They were perfect machines.

Because of their special nature, super soldiers were able to live a different life than the ordinary Hylian. They received special benefits. Their houses were three times the size of the common house, they were allowed to have four children instead of two, and their pay was substantial. Super soldiers also received discounts on many products. They were the only class that could live in luxury.

Naturally, because it is innate human nature, the ordinary citizens were envious of these soldiers. In their Utopia, everyone lived the same life no matter what. Yet these people were special. Everyone wanted to be special.

That led to the development of secret experiments. Average citizens came together in order to perform experiments regarding spiritual energy. Although their experiments were not complete, it was not long before other forms of super soldiers emerged. Soon everyone had their own army.

Of course, with any thirst for power, conflict is soon to follow.

Hyrule plunged into a dark age, known as the Warring Era. Bands of citizens claimed the throne. Armies of super soldiers clashed, each testing to see what form of the super soldier was the most superior. Innocent women and children were murdered. Illegal and violent experiments were performed on anyone who showed signs of spiritual energy. After years of war, one clan emerged victorious: the original royal family. Various other sects fled Hyrule and some declared allegiance to Hyrule's royalty. After years of conflict, the royal family had once again seized power of the kingdom. The original band of super soldiers proved to be the strongest. They would be later named the Sheikah.

The King was not a fool and he learned from his father's mistakes. He established a free-market society, where citizens were free to choose how many children they wanted, what career they wanted to pursue, and where they lived. With the free-market lifestyle, Hyrule once again began to flourish and prosper.

The King was human, after all, and could not do away with the Sheikah. They were his guaranteed source of power. He commanded the Sheikah to watch for spiritual energy, and any child who showed promise was selected to become a new member of his elite army. The thirst for power remained.

It would continue to haunt Hyrule for generations.

After centuries of peace, technological advancement, and overall prosperity, a new threat emerged. Ganondorf, the leader of a tribe that had regained its power after its defeat in the Warring Era, led an attack on Hyrule Castle. Even the Sheikah were no match for the power of the shadow tribe. After a sound defeat, Ganondorf betrayed his own tribe and murdered them on a public broadcast. He declared himself as the true ruler of Hyrule. Using his spiritual energy, which excelled in mind control and brainwashing, he used his power to completely brainwash the entire Hylian population. He chose the strongest to serve him in his elite guard. He also modified the Academy, where just like the King before him, he monitored the population for spiritual energy. When a high spiritual energy was detected, that child would become a student of the Academy.

The people lived on, unaware that they were being completely brainwashed. They were satisfied with just living on the basics. Whenever they spoke, they told of how wonderful a leader Ganondorf was.

Link found it absolutely sickening.

By some stroke of luck, Link was unaffected by Ganondorf's brainwashing. He lived as if he were brainwashed, because any sign of treachery could lead to death. Ganondorf had programmed the citizens to report signs of defection on the spot. Thankfully Link was a good actor.

He worked at a local restaurant in District Three. There were seven Districts of Hyrule that remained; each with its own unique purpose. District Three was the military sector. Here members of the military lived with their families. It was also the place where children with special spiritual energies lived.

That was the odd quirk about Link. He was different. Children can tell from a very young age if they have strong spiritual energy or not. Every human has it; the question is just to what degree. Those with strong spiritual energy were shipped off to the Academy, because they had the ability to resist Gannondorf's brainwashing. Link, to his knowledge, had very little spiritual energy. So why was he unaffected?

He had a few theories. One thing was his family's status. His parents died during Ganondorf's assault on Hyrule, but he knew they were both members of the elite army. His mother was a healer and very proficient in defense and his father was known for his offensive maneuvers. His older brother, who was two years his elder, was one of the strongest spiritual energy users at the Academy. Kallah was eighteen and just about to graduate. He was graduating at the top of his class.

Link glanced down at his watch. As a matter of fact, the ceremony should be ending just about now.

Link would have been there if it weren't for his job. Unfortunately even average students had to work in order to make ends meet. Because of the brainwashing, Link had no friends, so the only way he could keep himself busy was to work. Hey, at least he'd get paid—even if it was just piddly crap. Absences were unheard of. You miss a day of work and you're fired, regardless of the reason.

Kallah was like Link in the sense that he was also unaffected by Ganondorf's brainwashing. With Kallah, it made sense, given how powerful his spiritual energy was. Link would often ask his brother why he too wasn't affected. Kallah would always pat his head and tell him it was because of his mother's protection.

Oh look, a customer.

"We thank Ganondorf for his protection. May I take your order?"

The 'we thank Ganondorf' line was Ganondorf's way of flaunting his power. Before every conversation, a citizen of Hyrule had to start off with that line. Instead of a simple "hello," that's what the citizens would always say. They didn't know any better. That was how deep the brainwashing ran. Link always found himself saying it through clenched teeth, although he knew he had to play along.

"We thank Ganondorf for his protection. I would like the number three burger."

Of course it was the number three burger. There were a total of twenty-six options on the menu, but every single time the only item ever ordered was the number three burger. That was because it was Ganondorf's favorite. Another way of flaunting his power.

"Here you go, good sir. I thank my lord for his wisdom and kindness."

"A pleasure doing business with you. I thank my lord for his wisdom and kindness."

With that, the customer left. It was like any exchange. Start off with 'we thank Ganondorf for his protection' and end with 'I thank my lord for his wisdom and kindness.' The latter statement was the closing thought to all conversation, much like the former is the greeting. Because apparently saying 'good-bye' was against the law.

The clock chimed, indicating that it was six o'clock exactly. Link was free. He said his pleasantries to his manager, hopped in his car, and started his drive home.

District Three was not the worst district to live in. High sky rise buildings shaped the landscape. There were two lanes of traffic, those who drove on the ground in cars and those who used hovercrafts in the air. The hovercrafts were generally used by those blessed with Ganondorf's generosity and lived a somewhat luxurious lifestyle, or by those needing to travel from district to district. Kallah owned a hovercraft, the Academy presented it to him when he placed number one in the entire class his final year. Link couldn't drive it as he was only sixteen, and you must be eighteen or older to operate a hovercraft. Billboards plastered with propaganda lined the sky, which always retained a red-blue hue. The sun never shined. Man-made lights from civilization were the only source of light in Hyrule.

Well, at least Link never had to worry about getting sunburned.

Because of Kallah's prestige at the Academy, they lived in a nice home compared to the standards. There was a main room with a bedroom and they even had their own kitchen. How nice. Too bad Kallah's cooking was absolutely horrendous. Link always had to cook.

The alarm system bleeped softly as Link entered the house. With a wave of his hand, the alarm shushed. His watch was programmed to the alarm's frequencies. The home was completely dark, indicating that Kallah had not returned from his graduation festivities. Link considered going to the Academy to look for him, but if he had to hear the "we thank Ganondorf for his protection" line one more time today, he feared for his sanity.

What would today's dinner be? Ganondorf's favorite burgers of Ganondorf's select chicken cut? Link personally found the tastes of the dear ruler to be rather lacking. At least when the citizens were brainwashed they lost their sense of taste. On his travels with the Academy, Kallah gathered various spices and marinades for Link to cook with. Although they still had to use the repulsive cuts of meat, at least Link could drown it out in spices. Since it was Kallah's big day, Link elected to prepare one of his favorite meals, lemon-pepper chicken. Kallah was practically addicted to lemons. He vowed he'd move out of Hyrule just to go somewhere where he could constantly eat lemons.

That was the pride of the Academy's truest desire: lemons.

Link remembered a girl at the Academy once chastising Kallah about the appropriateness of the word "lemons," but Link had failed to understand what she meant. Lemons were fruit, right?

"Something smells good."

Link jumped. His brother had materialized out of nowhere.

"I hate it when you do that," Link grumbled, fixing his hair. "Drive a car like a normal person. Or at the very least use that fancy hovercraft that just sits and collects dust."

Kallah shrugged, picking up an apple off the counter and lazily biting into it. "Who wants to be normal? It's just so much easier to teleport. After all, I have a habit of getting road rage and the traffic outside of the Academy was absolutely horrid."

Link shuddered at the thought. Long ago he made a vow never to travel with Kallah when he was driving. Kallah, who was usually extremely calm and mild-mannered, turned into a raging, screaming, cursing lunatic the second he pulled out of the driveway. Actually, most of Link's curse vocabulary came from those times.

Kallah continued to sit rather slothfully on the counter. Link smiled. He was the happiest when he was around his brother, and not just for the obvious reasons. Kallah was the only person he could actually talk to. Since their parents died when Link was so young, Kallah practically raised him despite being only two years older. Some said Kallah and Link looked like twins. Both had messy, unkempt dirty blonde hair and bright, piercing blue eyes. Neither was very big. The major difference between the two was that Kallah had his ears pierced. According to Kallah, it was a Sheikah tradition to have your ears pierced when you became a man. Link recalled waking up on Kallah's eighteenth birthday to find his brother poking his ear with a needle.

"How was the ceremony?" Link asked, slapping Kallah's hand away as the elder attempted to snatch away one of the lemons Link had placed on the counter.

"Eh," Kallah muttered half-heartedly. "Same ol' song and dance. Eternal thanking of Ganondorf for his humility and generosity. The overgrown pig also graced us with his presence."

"Oh? And how did that 'overgrown pig' like his graduates?"

"He selected me to become a member of his elite guard, if that's what you're wondering."

In his shock, Link dropped the frying pan he was holding.

"Hey, watch it! That's my dinner!" Kallah caught his food with his spiritual energy, using his mind to set the pan back on the stove top.

Link was physically shaking. Kallah? A member of the elite guard? That couldn't be. The elite guard was Ganondorf's private army. They waited on his hand and foot. They accompanied him wherever he went. Surely Ganondorf knew Kallah was resisting the brainwashing. He had to know. If Ganondorf wanted Kallah to be a member of his elite guard, that only spelled out trouble.

"Link," Kallah spoke softly, getting down from the counter and ruffling his little brother's hair fondly. "I'll be fine. I wasn't singled out or anything. Every valedictorian is chosen."

"He can't ask you too…" Link was having trouble speaking. It was too much.

_Don't take him away from me. He's all I have left._

"I'm not going anywhere," Kallah assured Link. "It's not like I can refuse, anyways. We all know I'd be sentenced to death for treachery in a heartbeat. Nothing will change. I work the dayshift. I'll still come home every night like I always do."

Link nodded.

_I know Kallah will be okay._

Kallah gently flicked Link on his forehead.

"Ow! Geez, Kallah…"

"I'm hungry!" Kallah protested childishly, returning to his spot on top of the counter and crossing his arms across his chest.

"What am I, your mother?" Link added a bit of herbs to the chicken as garnish. He took a whiff. Hmm, not lemony enough. Kallah did love lemons. Link used the leftover lemon skin as lemon zest, completing the meal. "Here you go. Hope I didn't burn it…"

Kallah was already wolfing down huge portions. "It tastes delicious. Lemons…"

Link laughed before seeing to his own meal. He'd barely taken two bites before he heard a knock on the door. Link raised his eyebrows at Kallah, who was already scanning the source for trouble. After deciding there was no imminent danger, Kallah reluctantly got up to answer the door.

"We thank Ganondorf for his protection. How may I help you?"

"You are the children of Knights Erheart and Aria, correct?"

Erheart and Aria. The name of Link and Kallah's parents. Link couldn't even remember the last time Kallah mentioned their names, let alone any stranger.

"How do you know my parents?"

No sensing. No mind-reading or mind-control. Link was certain Kallah didn't even think about what came out of his mouth. It was a reaction. It was rare for Kallah to be so upfront regarding strangers.

"May we come inside please? It is not safe to talk out here. We may be spotted."

"_Are you crazy? Do you think I'm going to let a random stranger into my house? We can talk here."_

At least, that's what Link expected Kallah to say.

"Come in."

Link's eyes widened. What was his brother thinking? He couldn't recall the last time they had visitors in their house, much less strangers. Were they using their spiritual energy on Kallah? Impossible. No one, except for maybe Ganondorf, was stronger than Kallah.

Kallah knelt down beside Link so he could whisper in his ear. "Stand up. They mean us no harm."

"Kallah…" Link began.

"Just do it."

Link frowned. This was definitely odd. Kallah always at least gave Link an explanation. He also couldn't get over how serious his brother looked.

Link stood up. He certainly had questions, although he did admit now was probably not the time.

Three hooded figures, one considerably shorter than the other two, entered the crowded kitchen. Kallah motioned for them to sit in the living room. Link took a seat beside his brother while the other three figures sat on the sofa.

"Link, tea please," Kallah ordered.

Yep, he definitely wasn't going to ask questions. Link left to prepare some tea. It was rare for Kallah to offer tea since tea was another favorite of his. They only had a set amount from Kallah's travels and drank it sparingly.

"Oooh, it's been ages since I've had tea," one of the hooded figures spoke. Link judged that it was a young man speaking.

"Shut up, you fool, we're here on business," another figure, this one apparently female, snapped.

The last figure laughed pleasantly. Another girl? She sounded young, too…

"Please excuse my behavior, your majesty. It took me some time to recognize you. For that, I apologize," Kallah said, bowing before the middle figure.

Link was even more confused. Your majesty? More than that, who would cause Kallah to bow? Kallah bowed to no one.

The middle figure laughed again. Link re-entered the room with hot tea and placed it down on the coffee table. The taller person on the left smacked the one on the right. Seeing that Kallah was still kneeling on the ground, Link quickly joined him.

"You certainly are Erheart's son, Kallah. I placed a spiritual barrier around my energy, and yet you still recognized it." The one in the middle pulled down her hood. Link stifled a gasp.

Whoever he was expecting, this person was not it. She was absolutely breathtaking and appeared to be no older than he was. Her golden hair was tied in a braid and her eyes were the most beautiful shade of emerald green that Link had ever seen. The other two pulled down their hoods as well. From his father's old texts, Link recognized their markings as those from the Sheikah tribe. One was male with piercing red eyes, and the other a female with grey hair. Neither Sheikah appeared to be that old, but then again Sheikah aged differently and Link was never a good judge of age.

Kallah slowly raised himself out of the bow, giving a polite nod to each of the Sheikah. "Your powers are also immense, Your Grace. As you have correctly sensed, my name is Kallah, son of Knights Erheart and Aria. This is my younger brother, Link. We are forever at your service."

Link stayed bowing, mostly because he had no idea who she was or what to do.

The stunning girl offered her hand to Link. Surprised, Link took her hand, admiring how delicate and soft it was. He raised his gaze to meet hers, trying not to act as flustered as he was.

"I am Zelda, rightful Princess of Hyrule," she spoke as if to answer his question. "In my hour of need, I request both Kallah and your help, if you will permit it."

_Princess of Hyrule? But didn't the royal family die out during the war?_

"The Sheikah, who protect and serve the royal family, protected me as well as two of their young ones," she explained. "My loyal attendants are Sheik and Impa. They have been by my side since I was a very young girl."

Link nodded. It made sense, sure, but he was definitely getting creeped out that she seemed to be answering questions he was thinking aloud.

_**She's using spiritual energy, dummy.**_

A new voice entered Link's mind. He recognized the voice immediately as Kallah. Link glared at him. He hated when Kallah used his energy to read his mind. There was also that horrible occasion where Kallah used his energy to force Link to put on a skirt and dance around the house. Of course, the Princess was surely adept at using spiritual energy, especially since she too seemed to be unaffected by the brainwashing.

"Sorry," Link admitted shyly. "I'm not good at spiritual energy. In fact, I'm rather useless."

The Princess's eyes widened in shock as she immediately turned to Kallah. Link was surprised at her reaction.

_She must be wondering how I'm unaffected by Gannondorf's brainwashing if I don't have spiritual energy. Yeah, that's it._

Link was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't even notice Zelda and Kallah exchanging glances evident of a telepathic conversation. When Zelda seemed satisfied with Kallah's response, she turned her attention back to Link. Again taking his hand, she spoke gently and kindly.

"You have an important role to play in all of this, Hero. That I assure you."

_Hero? Me? Impossible. That's Kallah's job…I'm just regular old Link._

_**You are worth everything, Link. Soon you will discover this for yourself.**_

That voice wasn't Kallah's. Princess Zelda, hearing Link's worried thoughts, used her spiritual energy to comfort him. It felt nice. Link didn't want to release Zelda's grasp, but reluctantly pulled his hand away. Link was so busy staring into her gorgeous eyes that he didn't notice that another conversation was occurring in the room.

"You were selected as the next member of the royal guard," Impa was telling Kallah.

Kallah nodded in confirmation. "They gave me a day to think about it, although I don't know why seeing as I don't have a choice. I apologize if this may cause any inconvenience to the Princess's mission."

Zelda turned her attention to Kallah. "Kallah, I have a favor I'd like to ask of you…" she hesitated, chewing her lip nervously.

"You'd like me to be a spy for your cause," Kallah finished.

_No. That's too dangerous. He'll be found out. Ganondorf will kill him. _

"No," Link spoke aloud. "That's too dangerous…"

"I'm sorry, Link," Zelda said, her eyes brimming with tears. "I know what a dangerous request this is. I just don't know who else I can rely on."

"As I'm sure you're aware, Kallah has immense spiritual power," Impa continued for her. "He is able to resist brainwashing. That is rare. We have been watching him develop, waiting for the moment when he'd finally be ready."

"No!" Link yelled desperately. "That's suicide! Ganondorf will kill him!"

Neither Impa nor Sheik had a reply to that one.

Link was furious. They all knew what a treacherous mission this was. They all pretty much accepted that Kallah would die. And none of them, including Kallah, seemed to mind.

"Princess Zelda, I'd like to speak to you in private while my brother calms," Kallah spoke softly, ignoring Link's outburst.

Link turned to Kallah. "No…please…"

He felt a hand on his shoulder. Sheik was standing behind him as Kallah led Zelda into the bedroom so they could discuss the matter without Link's interruption. Link winced at the sound of the lock.

"Look, I know it's hard, but trust me when I say your brother's the most powerful spiritualist out there right now. If anyone can do this, it's him," Sheik said.

"For once, Sheik is right," Impa added, also walking over to Link. "Your brother is much stronger than you give him credit for. The best thing would be for you to put your faith in him."

"I know," Link was still looking at the closed door. "He's just everything I have."

* * *

Kallah sighed. He knew Link wouldn't be happy about his mission. What choice did Kallah have in the matter? It's not like he wanted to write his own death wish. But here she was standing before him. Princess Zelda. The royal family could once again rule Hyrule. Peace could return. The machines would once again become citizens. Now that was a cause worth fighting for.

"I apologize for my brother's behavior. He's a bit…_touchy_ when it comes to these things."

"I don't blame him," Zelda looked towards the door. "After all, you're the only family he has. I can't imagine what I'd do if something happened to Impa or Sheik."

There was a pause as both pondered their own thoughts. Recollecting herself, Zelda changed the topic.

"That wasn't the reason you called me to speak with you."

Kallah smiled sadly. "Your Grace, your spiritual powers are extremely attuned. I believe I've mentioned this before?"

"You may have mentioned it once or twice, although I do have a long way to go."

_Her power rivals mine and she's still developing her skill. She really is the Princess of Destiny._

"It's about Link," Kallah continued, shaking his head to clear all other thoughts. "Surely you noticed."

"I noticed that he is the possessor of the Hero's Spirit, if that's what you're referring to."

Long ago, during the Warring Stages, the people of Hyrule were suffering. The royal family needed to regain power, so the Princess prayed to the Goddesses that created the land. She begged them to send aid to the dying nation. The Goddesses, recognizing the purity of her request, sent aid in the form of a hero. Although only a child, the boy carried an immense amount of spiritual energy and it was this energy that solidified Hyrule. The boy's Goddess-given energy would later be known as the Hero's Spirit. The Goddesses promised the Princess that if Hyrule falls again, another one blessed with the Hero's Spirit would be born. The Princess who prayed and communicated with the Goddesses became known as the Princess of Destiny. Although the King was credited with the victory, it was really the efforts of those two individuals that secured peace in Hyrule.

Kallah knew all along that the Goddesses would not let Hyrule suffer long under Ganondorf's tyranny. During his rise to power, the Goddesses selected their next Princess of Destiny and Hero. Although Kallah only speculated about the Princess of Destiny, he always knew his brother was the possessor of the Hero's Spirit.

Kallah couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Here was Link, saying he was useless when it came to spiritual energy and practically worshipping Kallah when even Kallah's energy paled in comparison to the Hero. He had to commend Princess Zelda again on her insight for recognizing that the Hero's Spirit slept within his baby brother.

Zelda, who was patiently allowing Kallah to be lost in thought, finally spoke again. "I don't understand why his power appears to be sealed, however."

That Kallah could answer. "The legend states, as I'm sure you are aware, that only the Hero's Spirit combined with the Princess of Destiny can defeat the forces of evil. However, the Hero's Spirit must be allowed to develop and blossom. My brother was only a small child when Ganondorf came to power. My mother, knowing he was going to be hunted, used all of her spiritual energy to seal the power of the Hero's Spirit inside of Link. With her seal, Ganondorf could not recognize the sleeping energy inside of my brother."

Zelda nodded in understanding. "She gave her life to protect her baby," she simplified.

"My mother knew she couldn't keep Link's power sealed forever," Kallah continued. "Although I was only a child myself at the time, she transferred a little of her power to me so that when it was time, I could awaken Link's power." He once again bowed before Zelda. "Princess of Destiny, true ruler of Hyrule, I humbly request your permission to remove the seal on the Hero's Spirit and awaken him from his dormant slumber."

"Kallah, Knight of Hyrule," Zelda did not have a sword, so she instead placed her hand on his shoulder. "I formally grant you permission to remove the seal. Please awaken the Hero that is destined to save Hyrule."

Kallah rose from his bow. "I will do it tonight."

"Shall we join the others, then?" Zelda asked with a smile. "Sheik may suspect something if we're in here too long and I think poor Link will have a heart attack."

"Yes, that would be wise."

Zelda started to open the door, before stopping as Kallah's voice seemed to come out of nowhere. "Please, Princess, if I may ask this selfish favor...don't tell Link about the seal. I don't want him to know that Mom died when she placed that seal on him."

"I promise."

As she left, Zelda peeked into Kallah's mind one more time with her spiritual energy.

_Even though Mom put that seal on Link…the Hero's Spirit has been guiding him this entire time._

* * *

"Well, look who finally decided to rejoin the living," Sheik grumbled despite a jab in the side from Impa. "I was so desperate I almost drank your tea."

Kallah smiled, noticing that Link looked much better. It appeared that Sheik and Impa were successful in cheering him up. No doubt that was mostly due to their banter.

_Thank you._

Sheik and Impa nodded, receiving his telepathic message. Kallah walked behind Link and practically tackle-hugged him. "Linky! Where are my lemons!"

"What's with you and lemons!" Link protested, trying to pull his brother off of him. "Get off! You're so annoying!"

Zelda laughed. Impa sighed. "It looks like idiot males are common, milady…"

Sheik grinned. "We just like to get on all of your nerves. It's the job of the male species, you know."

"In all seriousness," Kallah spoke up from behind Link. "Where are the three of you staying? We may only have two beds, but you're welcome to stay here if you seek refuge."

"We have a hotel nearby, and don't worry, they don't suspect a thing," Zelda smiled. "My companions' persuasion is usually good enough. We will be certain to contact you tomorrow."

"Hey Impa…" Sheik whined.

Impa smacked him. "Shut up, you buffoon."

"What about the hovercraft…"

"I said shut up!" Both Link and Kallah winced at the painful slap that could be heard across the room.

Zelda was practically doubled over in fits of giggles. Link was laughing too. Kallah smiled. It was the happiest he was sure either have been in a long while.

"Take it," Kallah said, tossing the keys to Sheik. "I never drive it anyways."

Impa's mouth dropped open in an uncharacteristic gape. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?"

"Oh, its fine, Impa," Zelda giggled. "Just think of how much easier traveling will be. I'll be sure to compensate you for the hovercraft, of course," she said to Kallah.

Kallah shrugged. "I don't care. It was free. Not like I used it anyways."

"I'm sure your driving is less scary than Kallah's, Sheik," Link said. "Kallah's road rage is enough to even make the overgrown pig squeal."

"I protest that," Kallah grumbled.

"'Overgrown pig', I like that," Sheik grinned at Kallah.

"Hey, I reserve the rights to copyright that term," Kallah teased playfully.

"Yep," Impa said. "They're all idiots."

* * *

It was a little past midnight. Kallah was standing over Link, making sure Link was in the deepest stage of sleep. Thankfully, his little brother was a deep sleeper. A tornado could come through the house and he'd never notice. Kallah was a bit envious. His spirit energy always caused fitful nights of sleep.

_Sorry Link, you're not going to appreciate all the restless nights, but you'll thank me later._

Kallah closed his eyes, focusing his energy on the seal that slept within his brother. Twelve years ago he watched his mother's body disappear into thin air as she placed the seal on Link. It was a night not unlike this one, where everything was quiet. He called upon the energy his mother had stored in him.

_Great Goddesses that protect Hyrule, please aid your spirit maiden, Aria, as I releases the seal on your chosen Hero._

Kallah clenched his teeth. The seal was strong, stronger than he'd been anticipating. He mentally kicked himself. Of course it was a strong seal. It was sustained by his mother's life force and love for her child. It had to be so potent even Gannondorf wouldn't notice the power within. Inhaling slowly, Kallah focused even harder.

_Help me, Mom._

He felt his mother's hands gently wrap around his, guiding him to the source of the seal. Sending waves of his own energy at the seal, after a great deal of effort, the seal splintered. Kallah jumped back from the shock.

Link's body glowed a soft golden color. The color slowly dissipated into the air, and with it, the remainder of his mother's spirit.

_**Thank you, Kallah.**_

With a single tear trickling down his face, Kallah passed out from exhaustion.

* * *

Link really needed to get a new alarm. His alarm had to be the worst tone ever created. It was this annoying beep. One time he'd selected an alarm that went "Hey! Listen!" five billion times over and he nearly murdered himself from the pain. Anything but that. Nevertheless he could only choose alarms that were his dear ruler's favorite. The overgrown pig just loved to torture his citizens.

Then again, he could be woken up by the most pleasant thing and still be pissed. If there was one thing Link loved to do, it was sleep.

"Alright, I'm getting up already," Link mumbled groggily into his pillow, wiping the sleep out of his eyes and stretching. What a beautiful morning. The sky was a fetching purplish color as always. Link nearly tripped over Kallah, who had apparently decided not to sleep in his bed the previous night and was instead sprawled on the floor. Link chuckled, draping his blanket over his brother's sleeping body.

Strange, Kallah seemed…sad. Link shook his head. He couldn't afford to think about that right now.

Even though the day was ordinary, something felt incredibly different. Link couldn't quite put a finger on what. He felt…different. It wasn't a bad feeling, just…weird.

Time for breakfast. What should he make? Link started to rummage through the pantry. Oh, that's right! He had a barrel of oats out back. Oatmeal would be a fine breakfast. Maybe he'd even throw in some lemon zest for Kallah.

Link gasped in horror as an unidentified object suddenly crashed through the window. Dodging quickly to the side and protectively covering his head with his arms, Link looked towards the source. Were they under attack?

To Link's surprise, the barrel of oats he'd been thinking about was now smashed all over the kitchen floor.

"Well," he heard Kallah's voice. "It looks like we've got work to do."

* * *

**A/N**

**Wow this chapter's a bit of a doozy, isn't it? The final word count was just under 6,000 words. **

**Because this is completely AU with some pretty complex stuff going on, I really took the time to explain it all. Some of it might be tedious, but in this chapter if you miss a line you'll probably miss what's going on. xD This and the next chapter are probably the only ones that are like it, so don't worry!**

**Some things you may not understand and that's okay because it will be explained later in the story, but everyone does get the basic idea, right? Some things sound great in my head but don't translate well to paper, so please let me know if something is confusing and I'll fix it up for you all.**

**I know, I know, where's "Purpose"? I'm so sorry guys! I'm having a huge writer's block and then this one came around and I just…I had to. I have completely written out the plot for this story so this one doesn't have attack of the writer's block like "Purpose" is suffering from.**

**A thing about Kallah, who I hope you all are enjoying, I hate to claim him as my OC because…well, he's not really an OC but an OC at the same time. I'll let you all interpret that. ;) If you guys are curious when the story gets going I may answer some of your questions/theories about him. If you have a theory about who he is, please feel free to leave it in a review or a personal message. I'd love to hear them!**

**Please review, especially on a story like this where it's so different. I hope you all are enjoying the different take on the traditional Zelda storyline.**

**As always, please excuse the minor grammatical mistakes/typos that I'm sure are in here. Do bring them to my attention though as I often miss my own mistakes!**

**Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)**


	2. Regiment

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did… xD

"Ascension" is rated K+ for mild language and action description. Please note that the rating will likely rise to "T" in later chapters.

* * *

_**Regiment**_

_Wait, I did that?_

Link could only stare at the mess on his kitchen floor. After thinking about wanting oatmeal for breakfast, the barrel of oats came flying through the window. The commotion was enough to wake Kallah who could only chuckle. Between Kallah's reaction and Link's own intuition, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was responsible for the ruined breakfast.

_**Princess Zelda. I hope you have slept well. Link's powers have finally awakened.**_

That was Kallah's voice. But wait, Kallah's lips weren't moving. He wasn't even looking in Link's general direction. Instead, he seemed to be focusing and concentrating on something that was far away. Link frowned. Was Kallah not speaking? Or was Link hearing Kallah's thoughts?

_**Hello, sleepyhead. Try not to destroy our house, kay? I haven't gotten paid yet. By the way, it's rude to eavesdrop on someone else's thoughts.**_

This time, Kallah was looking straight at Link and gave him a wink.

So Link was hearing Kallah's thoughts now. That was odd. Before this morning, Link could only hear Kallah's thoughts when Kallah wanted him to. But yet, that message clearly wasn't intended for Link.

_**A quick warning, milady. I'm sure you've already noticed, but my dear brother has absolutely no control over his power whatsoever.**_

Now Link frowned unhappily and shot Kallah a glare.

"What?" Kallah protested aloud. "So far you've ruined my breakfast and listened on my private conversations. I'd hardly call that control."

It must be true, then. Link's powers really had awakened. Link shook his head. Wait, what was he thinking about? Link didn't have any power. How could it awaken? Why would it awaken now? He had a bundle of questions he was just itching to ask Kallah.

Link watched as the mess on the floor materialized back into the barrel as Kallah fixed it using his own energy. "They won't be here for a little bit. Unless you want to taste my cooking, I'd recommend making some breakfast. I'll answer your questions while we're eating."

Link nodded, trying to act like nothing happened.

_Okay, oatmeal, right? I'm making it for Kallah, so I'll need some lemons with that._

Without warning, several lemons burst out of the cupboard and smacked right into an unsuspecting Kallah.

"Ow! Link!" Kallah groaned, rubbing the now sore spot on his head. Link winced, hiding slightly behind his frying pan.

"Sorry, Kallah…"

"Do us all a favor and try not to think about anything," Kallah sighed.

That was an impossible task. Link's mind was constantly buzzing with something. After all, Link would think about not thinking. Kallah's shoulders slumped in defeat. "I doubt this will work, but we'll give it a go…" he muttered.

The odd feeling surrounded Link suddenly became stranger. It was as if someone was poking at his very soul and it hurt. He was already confused enough. He didn't need anything else.

_No! Stop it!_

_**Relax, Link. It's just me. I'm going to limit some of your powers for a little while so we can make it through the morning alive.**_

Link nodded, forcing himself to relax. The whole experience was completely strange and weird. Even though he knew it was just Kallah, he didn't like the idea of anyone probing at his soul like this. Did Kallah go through this every day? Was this true resisting? Did Ganondorf probe into Kallah's mind like this? Questions were still spinning in his head. As his mind was still restless, that made Kallah's job even harder.

_**Link. I know this is hard for you. Please just try to relax. I will answer all of your questions in a short while. **_

_I'm sorry, Kallah…I'm trying…_

Link, who had involuntarily closed his eyes, opened them to see Kallah physically struggling from attempting to limit Link's power. His brother looked so tired. Link took deep breaths. Kallah had to go to work, too, and he needed his energy to defy Ganondorf. Link couldn't let him use all of his energy here and now, not when he needed it. Link closed his eyes again, thinking about the most pleasant thing he could.

Instead of memories of his childhood, which were small in number but very happy, Link automatically saw her. In his vision, she danced in the grass. Her beautiful golden hair radiated in the sunshine. Her green eyes sparkled as she held out her hand for Link to join her. Princess Zelda was the most beautiful female Link had ever seen, and that was including his mother who was renowned for her beauty.

With Link's mind at ease, he felt Kallah's grip on his powers tighten. After one more small struggle, the weird feeling that surrounded Link all morning vanished. Link was only left with a feeling of content.

He heard Kallah inhale sharply. Link hurried over to his brother who was now leaning against the wall for support.

"I'm so sorry, Kallah…"

Kallah smiled. "It's not your fault. It's fine now. Do you feel better?"

Link nodded. He pulled Kallah's arm over his shoulder, letting his weary brother lean against him. After practically dragging the larger boy to his seat at the table, Link brought him a fresh cup of tea. Kallah took a few sips of tea, letting the herbal aroma soothe him. He smiled around the mug, flicking Link gently on the forehead. Link rubbed his forehead, glaring at his brother.

"Where's my breakfast?" Kallah asked. "I'm going to be late for work at this rate. Besides, the quicker I get food, the longer I have to answer all of your many questions."

Link shot up from his chair and practically ran over to the stove, stumbling over every little thing in his haste. At least Kallah was well enough to tease Link. Link chewed his lip nervously. He remembered reading something about a special herb that immediately rejuvenated spiritual energy, but he knew they didn't have any plus he didn't know where to find some.

"Link, the oatmeal is burning and I didn't even know oatmeal could burn." Kallah's voice jerked Link out of his reverie. The oatmeal was starting to turn a black color. Funny, Link didn't know oatmeal could burn either. This was the second meal in a row he almost burned. He was usually such a good cook too. Link quickly pulled it off the stove, forgetting that the pot handle was hot. He pulled back instinctively with a yelp.

He swore he could see Kallah banging his head against the kitchen table in disbelief behind him.

"Shut up Kallah," Link grumbled under his breath as his brother started cracking up laughing. He rubbed his tender limb before turning off the stove, grabbing an oven mitt and pouring the oatmeal into dishes.

"Goddesses," Kallah choked out between laughing fits. "Your head is always in the clouds, isn't it, dear brother? We'd all be dead if I didn't secure your power for the morning."

Link shot his brother a rather childish and indignant pout. "I resent that. I can control my power."

Kallah snorted. "Not yet you can't."

Link ignored that, mostly because he couldn't think of a witty retort. Kallah had a point and he knew it.

"You were going to tell me what's going on," Link changed the topic, setting down breakfast and a fresh cup of tea before his brother. Kallah almost squeed in delight, happily munching his food. Link patiently allowed Kallah to finish gobbling down the majority of his meal before pressing further. His elder brother took a huge swig of tea and lazily rubbed his mouth on his sleeve.

"Yes. Well, what do you want to know?"

"Everything."

"That's a little broad. You'll have to narrow it down somehow."

Link shot his brother a rather frustrated glare. "Okay, let's start with the obvious. Why do I suddenly have spiritual energy?"

Kallah shrugged half-heartedly. "There's no such thing as 'suddenly having' spiritual energy. You've had it all your life. It's just that up until now it was dormant. It's not completely unheard of."

"I've never heard of it," Link replied.

"I hate to break it to you, but you don't get out much."

If looks could kill, Link's glare would have disintegrated Kallah on the spot. Kallah chuckled, fondly messing up his brother's hair. "Alright, I'll stop teasing you. You're just too much fun to bother. I'm being serious, though, it's not uncommon. Especially those with the amount of energy that you have."

"I have a lot of energy?" Link had no idea. He was the first to admit that spiritual energy was never really his thing, especially since he always assumed he didn't have any.

"Of course, Link. Why do you think you always remained unaffected by the brainwashing? You know I'd give anything for you, but even I don't have enough energy to resist on behalf of the both of us. I would have died from the strain a long time ago."

"But…" Link didn't know what to say. Sure, what Kallah was saying made loads of sense, it just didn't feel right. The odd sensations Link experienced earlier than morning were feelings he'd never felt before. It just didn't feel right. Link couldn't give any explanation other than that.

"You worry too much," Kallah's voice interrupted Link's musings. "Let me explain things on the basic level. Princess Zelda will be here soon and she'll explain the rest. Although the late awakening isn't uncommon, your powers are special."

"Zelda's coming?" Link asked hopefully.

Kallah muttered "never mention Zelda's name in front of this idiot" under his breath before rolling his eyes. "Yes, the Princess is coming. Did you pay attention to anything else I said?"

"Uh, no. Sorry." Link's cheeks flushed a light pink color. He couldn't help it that the mention of her name alone was enough to make his heart start pounding in his chest.

Kallah flicked his brother on the forehead. "I said your powers are special."

After shooting Kallah another one of his trademark annoyed glares, Link's curiosity was piqued even further. "What's so great about my power?"

"What do you know about the Legend of the Warring Era?"

"I know the basics," Link insisted. His father had left them his old collection of ancient texts. When he was young, Link constantly read the texts and studied the contents so he would always know Hyrule's history—Hyrule's _real _history—by heart. "Several different clans fought against each other in order to gain power. The royal family, led by the King, eventually reclaimed the throne."

Kallah made a "tsk-tsk" noise, wagging his finger at Link. "Someone hasn't been reading his texts thoroughly."

"What?" Link protested. "I swear I read all of Dad's old texts."

Kallah laughed lightly. "You're too fun to tease. I know you did, you've always been good about that. Do you remember that one book? Dad sealed it with his spiritual energy which is why you could never open it. He did so to protect the secrets of Hyrule. That book details the true Legend of the Warring States."

"So I'm a failure. I get it. Enlighten me then, what's the legend about?"

"Have you ever heard of the Princess of Destiny or the Hero's Spirit?"

Link frowned in concentration. "I once remember reading about the Princess of Destiny. Apparently, she prayed to the Goddesses to save Hyrule. They were so amazed by her humble request and pure heart that they blessed the land with peace and prosperity."

Kallah clapped. "So you do know after all. Good, that's part of it. That story takes place during the Warring Era. How do you think the Goddesses blessed Hyrule?"

"Does that have to do with this Hero's Spirit thingy?"

"Good boy. The Goddesses blessed a young boy with their divine power. Using this power, together with the Princess of Destiny, the two defeated the evil. The King later revised the story and changed the texts so it would appear that he was the reason for victory. The Princess thanked the Goddesses, who in turn promised her that should Hyrule fall again, they would provide a new Hero. The power they granted the boy would later be known as the Hero's Spirit. It's not literally a spirit, just a term for the power the Hero of Legend possessed."

"I understand," Link nodded thoughtfully. "Although I fail to see what this has to do with me."

Kallah gave his brother a blank stare. Link knew that look. It was Kallah's famous "oh really?" look. Kallah only used that expression when Link said or did something incredibly stupid.

"What?" Link asked, puzzled.

"Answer me this: is Hyrule in a crisis?"

"I'm not dumb, Kallah."

"Answer the question."

"Yes."

"Is Zelda the Princess of Destiny?"

"I would assume so; given the way you've acted around her. Plus she's the only remaining member of the royal family."

"Do you remember what Zelda called you yesterday?"

_Handsome? _No, Link mentally kicked himself for thinking something so juvenile. Of course, he was not going to deny that it would be nice…

_**Hey, moron. Think with your brain, not with your you-know-what.**_

Link frowned. What did Kallah mean by that? "That's not fair," Link protested. "If I can't use my spiritual energy than neither can you."

"I don't see how this isn't fair," Kallah replied. "After all, up until this morning, you didn't even know you had spiritual abilities."

Link really hated that he could never come up with a response.

"Dummy. What did Zelda call you yesterday?"

Thinking past the obvious, Link focused intently, trying to remember everything the princess had told him. Wait a minute. He remembered being caught off guard by a certain statement. At the time he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Didn't she refer to me as the Hero?"

"Finally," Kallah grumbled good-naturedly.

Link ignored that. "So what?"

Again Link was on the receiving end of Kallah's "really?" expression. "Use your brain for once."

Wait, if Zelda was the Princess of Destiny, did that make him the Hero? Was he the reincarnation of the Hero and the possessor of his energy?

"I'm the Hero," Link breathed. "Only my power can save Hyrule."

"That's correct," Kallah's tone was almost comforting. "You're the Hero, Link. Hyrule needs you."

_Hyrule needs me._

Kallah winced. "Ouch, Link, easy on the spiritual energy there."

"Sorry," Link patted Kallah's shoulder. He poured another mug of tea and practically forced it into Kallah's hands. It was just so much. Taking care not to use his spiritual energy, Link attempted to process their conversation. Up until this morning, Link was an ordinary citizen of Hyrule. Suddenly he discovers he's the Hero.

Although it was still mind-boggling, somehow Link knew all along.

As if it was perfectly timed, Link heard a knock at the door.

"That's probably the Princess," Kallah started to rise before collapsing right back into his chair. "Yikes. I forgot what a strain this is on me."

"I'll get it," Link couldn't look at Kallah. It was because of him Kallah was struggling. Link made a vow, right there and then to grow stronger so Kallah wouldn't have to limit his power anymore.

"We thank Ganondorf for his protection," Link greeted just in case someone was watching. He motioned for the three people to come in.

"The house isn't destroyed!" Sheik cried gleefully, immediately pulling down his hood.

"You're welcome," Kallah spoke up from his seat. "You'll have to forgive me for not standing. Limiting this moron's power is harder than it looks."

"Hello, Link," Zelda extended her hand out to Link. Unsure of whether he should kiss it or take her hand, Link awkwardly shook hands with the Princess. He could've sworn he heard Kallah snort in the background.

"Princess Zelda, I…" Link fumbled for the right words. Zelda delicately placed a finger on his lips.

"Shh. Fear not, Link. I have brought something that will revitalize your brother's spiritual energy."

"That's the best news I've heard all day!" Kallah called happily. Impa acknowledged him with a slight bow, handing him a small brown parcel.

"You'll recognize those as the herbs of rejuvenation," Zelda explained as Kallah opened the package to find an assortment of herbs. "Although I would recommend not taking the herbs until after you release the limit on Link's power, it will fully rejuvenate your energy and you will feel no ill effects. I do have to warn you that we only have a limited supply, so I would recommend only taking the herbs when it is absolutely necessary."

"I will use them with the utmost caution, milady," Kallah said in his super-serious voice. Link always shuddered when Kallah used that tone. It was creepy to say the least. "Thank you for your gift." He lowered his head in a bow, unable to stand.

Zelda turned her attention to Link. "Has Kallah informed you of your destiny?"

"He told me that I possess the Hero's Spirit," Link responded awkwardly. Even though he now knew the truth, it was weird to say aloud. "He told me that…" Link had to clear his throat, "I am the only one who can save Hyrule."

"Well looks like big brother did do his job after all," Sheik commented.

"Of course. He's not useless unlike some Sheikah I know," Impa came back with.

The clock chimed, indicating that it was eight o'clock sharp. Link gasped. Kallah's call time was eight. He was going to be late on his first day.

Kallah winked at Link. "Are you ready for me to remove the limit? I do have to warn the rest of you, you may want to keep your distance as Link may inadvertently kill you."

Link nodded.

After a quick moment of haze, the odd sensation that had plagued Link all morning returned. Link focused on controlling his breathing to a light and steady pace. He also tried not to think about anything. Kallah dumped the herbs into the remainder of his tea and gulped the rest of it down. He stood up and stretched, gratefully feeling immediate relief from the herbs.

"I'll see you at six. Link, try not to destroy the house, okay?"

With that, Kallah disappeared. Link checked his watch. The time was eight o'clock and exactly fifty-seven seconds. Looks like Kallah was on time after all.

"So Link, ready to begin your Hero training?" Sheik asked. "Naturally, we'll be going somewhere away from here so Kallah doesn't have to spend his first paycheck on repairs."

He was ready.

* * *

Link frowned. Things weren't going well at all.

He, Sheik, and Impa stood in the middle of a large field. Link had absolutely no idea where they were but his instructors ensured him that they were safe. All day Link tried to control his spiritual energy. He tried different methods from thinking positive, to quieting his thoughts, to distracting himself. Nothing was working. The moment he had a small success he would lose his concentration.

Zelda was in a corner studying various maps and charts. Link had never seen so much data in his life. Attention to detail was never his strong suit. Of course, it didn't help that she looked positively adorable when she was concentrating and ruining Link's focus. Every time Link lost focus Impa would slap his wrists with some sort of a whip. The entirety of Link's forearm was a bright pink color.

"Focus, Link! We do not have time to wait for your development! Are you not concerned with the future of this nation?"

There she was, playing the guilt card again. Of course Link cared about the future of Hyrule and its citizens. He was aware that everything rested on him, thank you very much. However, he did go from being an ordinary boy to a destined hero overnight. It was a lot to swallow.

If Impa was the slave driver, Sheik was the "observer." Sheik would occasionally comment that Link looked ridiculous or laugh hysterically, but other than that he simply enjoyed the entertainment. Once in a while Impa would direct her whip at Sheik, although he always dodged it in time.

A painful slap on the wrist alerted Link to the fact that he lost his focus yet again. Whoops.

"I'm sorry, Impa, I'm trying, I just…"

Impa held up her hands in defeat. "Enough of this. We're not getting anywhere." The Sheikah woman walked over to Sheik and proceeded to whack him merciless with a fan that materialized out of nowhere. "Hey! What did I do!" Sheik cried in protest.

Link sighed, rubbing his wrists. He was trying, really.

"Hey Link," Zelda waved him over. "Good work. Can you help me with something?"

"I'd hardly call it 'good work,'" Link responded dejectedly as he made his way over to Zelda. "I haven't been able to keep my focus for more than five minutes. If we weren't in an empty field I would have killed someone already."

Zelda giggled. "Silly, no one gets it right the first day," she comforted. "Trust me when I say you've made excellent progress. Impa even thinks so too—although she'll never show it."

"I suppose so," Link said with another heavy sigh and sitting down next to Zelda. "What are you up to?"

"Well, the Princess of Destiny has a far less fancy role than the Hero," she teased lightly. "It's my job to develop a strategy and gather allies for our cause."

"How are you going to accumulate allies when everyone's brainwashed?"

"That's the problem," she said with a sad smile. "I'm almost positive we're the only ones unaffected by this whole ordeal. The three of us have been searching for others for years now and so far you and Kallah are the only ones we have been able to notice. Unless we can end Ganondorf's brainwashing, I don't know how we can even alert the population to their current situation."

Link thought long and hard about their dire situation. Wait a minute…

_Wasn't there that one time…_

"What time?" Zelda asked aloud. "You're using your spiritual energy correctly. Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Link mumbled half-heartedly. He was so busy focusing on remembering the situation that he couldn't get caught up in his victory. Yes, Kallah returned from the Academy one night, saying that he found it…

"That's it!" Link snapped his fingers.

Zelda looked at him curiously, eager for him to continue.

"Kallah said something about a generator that seemed to radiate spiritual energy," Link continued. "He said that there was no way that the generator produced electricity or regular energy."

Zelda nodded, processing the new information. "That could very well be it," she said. "I find it hard to believe Ganondorf's power would spread to this degree without some sort of medium assisting him."

"What's this about me and a generator?" Kallah appeared out of nowhere behind Link.

Link jumped about three feet in the air in surprise. "Kallah! You know I hate it when you do that!"

"Welcome back, Kallah," Zelda greeted much friendlier. "I'd been so caught up in my work that I didn't realize how much time has passed. I'm glad you found us so easily."

"It's a good hiding spot and a great area for Link to train," Kallah observed.

"What was the boy talking about earlier? About the generator?" Impa asked Kallah.

"Ah, yes, that silly thing. It wasn't long ago that the Academy requested that I fix a special generator," Kallah recalled. "I was curious why they wanted me. They said only I could do it. Turns out, this massive generator was definitely radiating spiritual energy, that much is certain. It took all of my power just to fix the minor glitch. I was shocked that something that large could house that much energy. That's when it hit me: maybe Ganondorf's brainwashing the public through these generators. There's one in every district, have you noticed? Plus the huge one in front of the castle. I'm serious, that thing was radiating energy. It took all of my power to resist."

"That's some important information," Zelda commented, marking down the generator's locations on each of the maps. "The generators and their locations is public knowledge. I believe Ganondorf tells the people that they are a renewable source of energy."

"Oh, they're a source of energy, all right," Kallah nodded. "But even if the public knew, it wouldn't make a difference. Like I said, now I don't mean to brag, but I have a high amount of spiritual energy. It took everything I had to just fix a little tiny bug. Those things are virtually indestructible, especially since you have to resist them at the same time."

Zelda's face fell. "Indestructible, huh?"

Kallah laughed, surprising the others. "I don't mean to worry you, milady! Just because I can't do anything about them doesn't mean no one else can."

"How much power do you think it would take?" Sheik questioned.

"That's easy," Kallah started, looking expectantly towards Link.

"I could destroy it," Link finished.

Zelda met Link's gaze. Link stared determinedly at her. He knew he could do it. He believed in himself. He just needed a little time.

"In theory, the Hero's Spirit should be more than enough to destroy the generator," Impa chimed in.

"Though for the big one Her Grace and Link will probably have to team up," Kallah remarked. "Other than that, Link can handle the simple ones in the district by himself."

"Well, now we have a plan!" Zelda smiled. "I had been so discouraged. Thank you, Link and Kallah, for your insight."

"Thank Link," Kallah ruffled his brother's hair. "He's the one who remembered. I honestly forgot about that whole shebang. Link even used his spiritual energy to recall the memory."

Link nodded proudly. See? He wasn't completely useless.

"That's great," Sheik exclaimed. "Now too bad our Hero can't even stay focused for five minutes."

Link was really getting tired of being on the receiving end of Kallah's "really?" look. "Five minutes? That's it?"

"Not even," Impa sighed exasperatedly. "We tried everything. The boy wouldn't focus."

Kallah grinned. "Maybe you all are just going about it the wrong way. Watch and learn." He motioned for Link to follow. "Come with me," he ordered. Link obediently trudged behind. Kallah picked up one of the boxes Impa and Sheik were using for training and set it down in the middle of the field.

"Okay. Move the box using your spiritual energy," he instructed.

Impa scoffed. "That's it?"

"We've been trying that all day," Sheik grumbled.

Kallah smiled. "Watch and shut up," he snapped to them.

Link closed his eyes, focusing everything he had on moving the box. In his mind, he visualized lifting the box into the air. Kallah grinned as Link used his mind to lift the box off the ground. Step one. Link then imagined it flying across the field. Oooh, the way it flew, it kind of reminded him about that game he used to play when he was a child…

Poof. With that, Link lost his concentration. The box crashed to the floor.

"See?" Impa asked Kallah with an I-told-you-so voice.

"He's hopeless. He's more ADD than a hyper puppy," Sheik sighed in defeat.

Kallah didn't seem to be annoyed. Instead, Link could tell his brother was observing his every move and more specifically, his thought process. Kallah finally nodded as if pleased with his discovery.

"This has nothing with Link's attention deficit problem, although I'll admit that's a small obstacle," Kallah spoke up. "The true problem is that Link has virtually no confidence."

Link opened his mouth to protest, but Zelda beat him to it. "What do you mean, Kallah? Did you not hear how confident he was that he could destroy the generator? I felt it! He believes in himself!"

"That's true to some extent. Link is confident that he will one day be the Hero. However, the key in that is 'one day.' He has no faith in his abilities whatsoever in the current moment."

"I just found out I was the Hero today," Link spoke quietly. "What can I possibly do in one day? It's so early in the process…"

Kallah cut him off before he could continue. "Age and experience has nothing to do with it. Who told you that? These boneheads who claim to be instructing you? Sure, those things help, but a complete newbie has the potential to use his spiritual energy to the fullest. Spiritual energy is based on exactly what it sounds—your spirit. If you have a strong spirit, your energy will flourish. That being said, if you believe in yourself, you can do anything."

Sure, that was easy for Kallah to say. Kallah had been practicing with his energy since he was a small child. He had years to improve. Link was lucky if he had a few days. He was so new…

"Link. Stop it. I know what you're thinking." Kallah sighed. "Here…this will help. I have only reached my full potential once in my life. I was six years old. I barely knew anything about spiritual energy or how to use it. Yet on that day, in that one moment, I was able to release all the energy I had."

Link stared quizzically at him. Kallah? Using that much energy when he was just a child?

_Why—_

Kallah immediately cut him off. "Why isn't the question you should be asking. That is irrelevant. What is relevant is the fact I was able to use my energy. If a little six year old can do it, so can you. Just focus. More than that, believe in yourself. Believe in your spirit."

Link was still curious, but decided not to probe and take his brother's advice.

_Hyrule needs a hero. I'm the Hero. I can do it. There is nothing I can't do. I have never failed before. I don't plan on starting now. I will help Zelda. I will become stronger so Kallah doesn't have to do everything by himself anymore. I'm the Hero, and I will save Hyrule. Not in a few days. Not a few months. Right now._

Imbued with confidence, Link once again focused on the box sitting in front of him. In a flash, the box flew into the sky and was thrown across the room.

"Good, Link," Kallah praised. "Now split the box in half."

Within seconds, the box splintered directly down the middle.

Kallah continued to give minor orders such as box placement and eventually asked Link to pick up multiple boxes at once. Without fail, every single time, Link obliged and perfectly performed the tasks he was given. Kallah could see the concentration on Link's face. Instead of looking like a wide-eyed little boy, Link truly had the appearance of a Hero.

"That's it," Kallah called. "Good job, Link. You focused for fifteen minutes straight."

Link brought himself back to reality. The whole focusing thing felt like an out of body experience. No matter. He was finally learning to control his power. All he needed was a little confidence. He couldn't help but grin at Impa and Sheik's wide open mouths. Zelda was jumping up and down like a schoolgirl, clapping gleefully. "Great job, Link! That was amazing!"

He turned his attention back to his brother, who gave him a weak smile. "That was it, little bro. Excellent work."

"Thank you, Kallah," Link said earnestly.

"For what?" Kallah winked. "All I did was give you a little encouragement. Besides, I'm shocked you've never heard the 'believe in yourself' spiel. That's what every teacher tells their new students."

Impa frowned. Sheik could only grin. "He has a point," he commented to Impa, who smacked him in response. "Seriously," Sheik continued. "Kallah is strong. Much stronger than us." Although she'd never admit it, Impa had to agree.

Link walked up to Zelda who shocked him by giving him a huge hug. Link breathed in her scent which was light and floral. Her shoulders were so slender. Link wanted to stay in her arms forever. They both pulled back at the same time, blushing lightly. "You were great," she repeated shyly.

"You really helped earlier," he said. "If you hadn't taken my mind off things I don't know what I would've done."

"Gone crazy?" She offered, which only set the two teenagers into fits of giggles.

* * *

Kallah continued to smile, watching his brother from his position by the newly destroyed box.

_Way to go, Link. I mean that. You're incredible._

"Hey, Mr. Hotshot teacher," Sheik called, waving for Kallah's attention. "Might I have a word?"

Sheik? What did he want with Kallah? Oh well, this was bound to be entertaining.

"What's up?" Kallah asked.

"Can we go somewhere in private?" Sheik questioned rather uncharacteristically. "I mean, not that kind of thing, I'm not into dudes, but I'd like a word where we won't be heard and Impa won't injure me."

Kallah laughed lightly. "Sure, that's not an issue. There's no danger here. We can talk back at my place." The two teleported back to the boys' home. Upon arrival, the alarm immediately started beeping maniacally.

"Shush, stupid alarm," Kallah waved his arm to get it to shut up. "Sheik?"

"I'm in the bedroom," Sheik called.

"I had no idea," Kallah couldn't help but tease.

"Shut up."

Kallah closed the door behind him in case the others decided to return as well. "How can I help you?"

"I have some things I want to discuss with you," Sheik stated. "Before I start, though, I have to commend you for what you did with Link. That was absolutely brilliant, getting him motivated like that."

"I'd attribute that mostly to Link's character, not me," Kallah responded humbly. "But I'll take the compliment anyways. Thank you."

"Don't think I didn't notice," Sheik continued. "You carefully probed his mind to discover what method would be most effective in reaching him. Impa and I couldn't break his defenses."

"You noticed, huh. You're stronger than you look as well."

"I can hold my own in a spiritual energy fight," Sheik stated proudly. "I am a Sheikah, after all. If it wasn't obvious by my name. Seriously, what were my parents thinking, naming me Sheik? Talk about unoriginal."

Kallah laughed. "You're something else, aren't you?"

"So are you," Sheik retorted. His red eyes glanced down. "I mostly noticed because I can tell you're exhausted. You removed Link's seal, correct? That's no small feat. Add into account the fact that you limited his powers this morning, spent the day resisting Ganondorf's brainwashing, and you helped Link with his training. That's a lot for a twenty-four hour span. You're incredible. Stupid, but incredible."

"I'm glad someone else thinks I'm a fool. Usually they just think I'm amazing."

"Look…what I mean to say is, I know the kid cares about you, so don't overdo it, okay? Link would be devastated."

"Thanks, Sheik. I never knew you were one to care."

"Hey, enough with that. Seriously. You seem like a cool guy. Link's a good kid too. I don't want to see anything bad happen to either of you."

Kallah would have hugged him if that was considered manly. However, both young men would lose some serious man points if they had a silly effeminate moment like that so they simply exchanged a meaningful smile.

"I do have a question, though…" Sheik continued.

"Go for it."

"How was work today?"

"The overgrown pig isn't really up to anything new, if that's what you're asking."

"I've been wondering," Sheik lowered his voice. "The elite guard is made up with those that have especially high spiritual energy, right? What if you're not the only one resisting the brainwashing?"

"I've considered that," Kallah responded. Now that he thought about it, there was a girl that graduated in the class above him. She was fiery with a fierce temper to boot. He'd seen her fight in a mock battle and there was no question that her skills were impressive. He couldn't help but notice that she always seemed to talk through clenched teeth when Ganondorf was around. He could recall a few moments where she almost openly defied him as well. He chuckled aloud. Who did she think she was fooling? Certainly not him.

"Actually," Kallah started. "Now that I think about it, there is this one girl in the guard who is either a drama queen or another resistor. She's pretty feisty and clearly loathes Ganondorf."

"Do you know her name?"

Kallah shook his head. "I usually make it a point not to converse with the locals," he said. "I've never really talked with her. I do know she's extremely powerful and she's not bad looking if I'm allowed to comment."

Sheik grinned. "The hot tempered ones are the best," he agreed.

"You must be in heaven then since Impa slaps you all the time."

"She's warming up to me."

"Oh, of that I'm sure."

Kallah and Sheik both laughed. "You'll talk to our feisty drama queen tomorrow then, right Kallah?

"You bet. It should be fun."

* * *

**A/N**

**Yay, Link! You're finally becoming the Hero!**

**Well folks, we're done with Chapter 2. Thank goodness because all of the exposition chapters were beginning to drive me crazy. This one was longer than the first chapter by a couple hundred words, believe it or not! Now we can get into the actual meat of the story!**

**This is extremely rare for me, posting a second chapter within hours of the first, but I was in the mood. It really helps that I have the plot written out. Can you guess who the "feisty drama queen" is? I'm sure you can. ;) **

**I'd like to thank all of the wonderful reviewers and positive feedback I've already received on this story. It really motivated me to write more. I'm so glad you all are enjoying the story and I hope you continue to enjoy it as the story progresses. **

**As always, especially since I'm pretty tired typing this up, excuse any grammar mistakes/small typos that are in here. Please bring them to my attention as well!**

**This "cover" feature FF decided to implement is pretty cool. I have absolutely no artistic talent whatsoever but I'll whip up a little cover for "Ascension," so be on the lookout for that. :) **

**Thank you again for reading and I hope you enjoyed the second chapter. I look forward to seeing you all in the next chapter. :)**


	3. Companion

**Quick little A/N:**

**Before I get started, I want to clarify the format this story takes.**

**Line breaks indicate either a time gap or perspective switch. So far the story has been through Link and Kallah's eyes although the story is not limited to their points of view.**

_This text is the current POV's spiritual energy_

_**This text is a different character's spiritual energy**_

**For an example, most of the first two chapters were in Link's perspective.**

_I did that? _**Is Link's spiritual energy.**

_**Of course, dummy. **_**Is Kallah's. **

**Make sure to keep an eye out for who the focus of that particular section is! It's usually right there in the first sentence. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did… xD**

_**Ascension**_** is rated K+ for some mild cursing and eventual action description. Please note that the rating is likely to be raised to "T" in future chapters.**

* * *

_Companion_

Link took a deep breath.

"Move the box in front of you to the northwest corner of the room. At the same time, move the box behind you to the northeast corner," Impa instructed. "Believe in yourself. You can do it. Now go."

Link closed his eyes. He wasn't quite at the point where he could keep his eyes open and still focus. In his mind, he visualized both boxes flying over and gently landing on their designated spots. It would be a peaceful and smooth movement, careful so they wouldn't break. Using his mind, he could see everything around him. A shadow towards the rear of the field was most certainly Impa. Her image was pulsating with what Link assumed to be spiritual energy. A quick glance at Sheik proved his theory. He'd never tell Impa, but if the amount of waves emanating from one's figure was an indicator of how strong their spiritual energy was, well, then Sheik was actually stronger than Impa.

While he was thinking all of this, the boxes moved as he'd instructed them to. Link knew there would never be a moment where his mind was completely at peace and only thinking about one thing, so he decided to challenge himself by thinking of other things while completing designated tasks. So far, he was pretty successful. Impa had only whipped him a couple of times. As a matter of fact, the Sheikah woman almost seemed pleased with his progress. Of course, they were still only focusing on moving boxes, but hey, it was a start.

This time yesterday morning, Link discovered he was the possessor of an immense power, the Hero's Spirit. His power was so erratic that he nearly killed Kallah in the process. After a day of struggling, with Kallah's encouragement Link finally proved to himself that he could right here and now control his power. Since then, he never looked back. So far, the only time he lost control was when Zelda came to visit. He accidentally tossed a chair at Kallah. Whoops. Poor Kallah always seemed to be on the receiving end of these things.

Now, with imbued confidence, Link was finally starting to look and feel more like a true hero. Sheik commented that he didn't look as dopey anymore. Impa started that his eyes were sharper. Zelda even mentioned Link looked more mature. Link felt better. Yesterday his energy felt like an odd sensation. Now it empowered him, as if it was simply the air he breathed.

"Great job, Link!" Zelda was waving Link over.

_**I suppose you can take a short break.**_

Link smiled. _Thanks, Impa._

He was also getting much better at non-verbal communication. There were certain visual cues that one was communicating non-verbally, although it varied on the person. For Sheik, he always focused on a spot in front of him. Impa's head was always titled slightly up. Zelda's habit was making direct eye contact with who she was communicating with. Kallah used his super-serious expression, which Link still found creepy. He laughed lightly to himself.

Zelda was still sitting among masses of maps and who knows what, but this time Link could see she was developing a clear plan instead of bumbling around like she was yesterday. She was dressed pretty casually today and her hair was back in a lazy ponytail. Zelda was also sitting in a very un-ladylike position at the moment. Link resisted teasing her. He really shouldn't be teasing the Princess of Destiny and his future ruler.

"How goes the plan?" Link asked, gratefully accepting the towel Zelda offered. Focusing was hard work. It was amazing how quickly Link sweat. Being soaked with sweat on a consistent basis was definitely something Link wasn't used to. Oh well. Such was the price of being the hero. He slumped down next to the Princess, mimicking her sprawled-out position.

Zelda, realizing how un-Princess-like she looked at the moment, blushed and quickly moved to a more proper sitting position. Link only laughed lightly, his blue eyes twinkling in the artificial light. Zelda had a nervous habit of pushing strands of her hair behind her ear when she was embarrassed. It was adorable. After a moment, she cleared her throat and regained her composure. Aw. The regular Zelda was much cuter than the formal one…

Link shook his head.

_Stop it, stupid. This is Princess Zelda we're talking about. The Princess of Destiny. What would she want with an idiot like you?_

It was uncanny how much Link's spiritual energy sounded like Kallah.

Zelda either ignored him or didn't say anything for his benefit. Link couldn't help but notice a jubilant, mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Based on the information you and Kallah provided, I believe we should start disabling the generators in the districts. When you're ready, of course," she added as a hasty afterthought.

"I'm ready when you need me to be," Link assured her.

Impa snorted. "Not yet you aren't. You've made progress and I'll admit it's been quite impressive, but you still have the spiritual energy level of a child. All we've done is move boxes and hold a conversation. You need to learn how to manifest your spiritual energy in a physical matter."

Link winced. That was harsh. Impa was always the bearer of bad news.

"You have to admit, Impa, that he could easily learn that by this evening if your medieval teaching methods don't slow him down," Sheik commented. He dodged Impa's whip effortlessly.

"I don't see you helping," Impa snarled.

Zelda laughed delicately, clearing her throat lightly to end their banter. "We have to remember that it will just be the four of us. I doubt Kallah, given his position, will be able to aid us."

"_Three_ of us," Impa corrected. "Milady, you will need to stay behind."

"Here we go again," Sheik muttered under his breath.

"We've been through this before, Impa," Zelda sighed. "I'm the Princess of Destiny. It is my duty to be on the battlefield with my people. How am I supposed to lead Hyrule when the citizens don't even know who I am? I'm not dead weight, either! We all know how strong my energy is!"

Link was surprised how forceful Zelda's tone was.

"Hey Link," Sheik called, waving to get the young hero's attention. "They'll be at this for awhile, trust me when I say that. They always argue like this."

"Must be hard," Link murmured, tuning out their argument. He could see where both were coming from. Actually, in this case he identified more with Impa. Impa's reaction was exactly like his when he found out about Kallah's mission. Impa clearly cared about the Princess's well being. Sure, you understand what they're saying, but it's hard to put someone you love in danger.

Speaking of Kallah, he wondered what his brother was up to.

* * *

Whoever said that nonsense about wanting to be an adult and have a real job needs to be shot.

This was absolutely suffocating. Kallah actually preferred going to class at the Academy all day long. At least the lessons were somewhat different although they were just propaganda nonsense in order to ensure the dear leader had a loyal army. His teachers usually said stuff that made them sound like brainwashed idiots. Of course, it was no fault of their own, but that didn't mean it wasn't funny at the same time.

Now this, on the other hand, this was legalized torture.

For a great, almighty leader who ruled all of Hyrule, Ganondorf's lifestyle was exceptionally dull. Kallah wasn't even sure that he moved from that disgusting chair. As a member of Ganondorf's guard, Kallah was on door duty. Yep, after having one of the strongest spiritual energies on record and graduating at the top of a very strong class, Kallah spent his life staring at a door.

Talk about a waste of resources.

Of course nobody was going to storm the castle. Ganondorf brainwashed the entire nation, for Goddesses' sake. Kallah almost hoped one crazy person would attempt to anyways just because it would be entertaining. There was no need for a standing army. Neighboring countries didn't even bother with Hyrule. It wasn't worth the effort. Instead, Ganondorf usually sat at his desk writing who knows what while that annoying clock ticked constantly in the background. While he'd occasionally talk to the guards, usually the room was silent. All anyone ever heard was "Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock." It was maddening. The chime that marked the top of the hour was particularly annoying. "Hey! Listen! Hey! Listen!" Kallah shuddered at the thought. Why did that sound so familiar to him?

Anyone with a brain could tell Ganondorf selected only the best for his guard so he could keep an eye on them. The stronger your energy, the closer Ganondorf watched you. That was only obvious, seeing as those with strong energy had the potential to resist, just like Kallah. In the districts, resisting was fairly easy. However, being this close to the dear leader in proximity was much, much harder than Kallah originally anticipated. He had a theory that Ganondorf suspected Kallah wasn't brainwashed. It was a gut feeling he couldn't shake. Kallah was forced to keep complete focus the entire time. One slip up and Ganondorf could invade his brain. The result was a pulsating migraine. Kallah's head throbbed and it took all of his energy to stop his body from shaking. Even still, he had a job to do. The Princess of Destiny was counting on him.

More importantly, Link was counting on him. He made a promise to Link that he'd always come home every night. There was no way he was going to abandon his little brother, not now, not ever. That was the strength that kept him going.

After an unexpected heart to heart with Sheik the previous night, Link thought about how he was going to talk to the girl he believed to be resisting. She was on duty at the door directly across from him, so he'd been staring at her the entire time. Due to her effort in resisting, Kallah was pretty certain she hadn't even noticed him staring. If she had she was doing an awfully good job at hiding it.

If Kallah knew one thing about this fiery redhead it was that she wasn't good at hiding anything.

Normally, Kallah would have probed her mind to test her defenses, but he couldn't afford that sort of exertion right now. He didn't want to tear her down either. On very rare occasions, Ganondorf would lead the room to take a bath or whatnot. Kallah was praying to the almighty Goddesses for him to leave momentarily. Only a select few followed Ganondorf outside of the room and thankfully Kallah wasn't that high on the totem pole yet.

As if they answered his prayers right then and there, Ganondorf snapped his fingers. "Guards. With me." The programmed soldiers formed a tight perimeter around the dictator and he left the room. Hopefully he was going to take a bath, because boy did he stink. A shame he always smelled worse after he took a bath, though. What kind of soap did he use? Pig dung?

Kallah shook his head, sighing softly so the guard next to him wouldn't notice. Already he felt Ganondorf's influence fade on him slightly. It wasn't much, but it was enough to talk to the beautiful girl across the room. Yes, she was beautiful. Kallah felt no remorse admitting it. He was a guy, after all, and guys have needs too. Kallah once again stared directly at her so she would eventually pick up who was speaking to her. He watched her also sigh apparently in relief. This girl definitely wasn't brainwashed. Kallah was now 100% certain.

Good thing he was, because on the off-chance she was in fact brainwashed, he'd probably be executed for treachery.

Kallah took deep breaths, as deep as he could without the computer next to him noticing. His migraine still pulsed, but he could bear with it. Now, what was the way to get a girl's attention?

Ah. Yes, that would work.

_You know, it's pretty obvious you hate our dear leader's guts. I don't know who you think you're fooling._

Just like he'd suspected, her eyes widened in shock and she frantically looked from side to side searching for the sender of that message. Her fellow guard next to her raised his eyebrow, but even brainwashed he figured that was just who she is.

_What are you doing, reacting like that? Are you trying to get found out?_

_**Shut up! Who are you! What do you want!**_

There was desperation and anxiety in her voice. Kallah pitied her. It was obvious that the poor girl was thoroughly exhausted, both in mind and in spirit. It was hard work resisting Ganondorf. She certainly had guts, though, trying to sound all strong when in reality she's on the verge of collapsing.

_I mean no harm. Calmly look directly in front of you._

After a few nervous glances to the side, she finally stared straight ahead at Kallah. She narrowed her eyes in concentration. Kallah could feel her attempting to probe at his defenses.

_Easy. I don't want you to tucker yourself out. I promise I'll tell you everything you need to know about me at a later time._

_**Tell me who you are.**_

_If you're asking for my name, it's Kallah. Although I believe in most civilized cultures it's proper to introduce yourself first._

_**My name is Midna. I've heard of you. You're that prodigy that just graduated.**_

_I had no idea I was famous around these parts._

Kallah forced back a grin as Midna scowled. Kallah suspected the red head wasn't particularly fond of him.

_**Huh. Looks like you're also resisting pretty successfully. I thought I was the only one.**_

_So did I until I was promoted. You're pretty quick to figure out, though. You should really work on controlling your emotions a bit more._

_**Shut up. My, don't we think highly of ourselves, hmmm?**_

This time Kallah shook his head. It was taking everything he had to keep from doubling over in a fit of laughter. Apparently he was gaining a reputation of being a braggart. Yesterday Sheik referred to him as a 'hotshot teacher.' He wondered where they were getting that opinion from, because that couldn't be farther than the truth.

_Call it constructive criticism if you must. I have a bit of a request, however now really isn't the time and place for us to talk._

_**I make a habit of not associating with crazy people.**_

_I'll make note of that for future reference. Unfortunately for you, I'm pretty certain I'm the only person you've met that can resist Ganondorf's brainwashing._

Kallah watched Midna chew her lip thoughtfully at that. He was successfully probing her mind and she knew it. She hated it as well. She sighed. Kallah knew that sigh. He'd sighed like that many times before. It was the 'I don't really have much of a choice' sigh. The one of defeat.

_**You're not alone, are you?**_

_I know of four others who can resist Ganondorf's brainwashing. As far as we can tell, we're the only ones. But then again, here you are. _

_**Four? That's hardly any…**_

_It's a hell of a lot better than none._

Again the angry scowl. Kallah repressed yet another chuckle. Somehow scowling suited her perfectly.

_**I'll consider your offer…if, that is, you can defeat me in a mock battle. **_

Well, look at this. It appears she wanted to test him. Kallah didn't blame her. He was certain he'd do something similar if he was in her shoes.

_Shall we be honorable citizens and volunteer for today's mock battle so that we may please our dear ruler?_

Midna grinned, this time in earnest.

_**Yes, let's.**_

Every day, Ganondorf held mock battles between members of the Academy or his elite guard. It was his way of knowing which Hylians were the most spiritually attuned. Kallah fought in many mock battles during his time at the Academy. It was the only time where Ganondorf's brainwashing was not that strong so the students could release their full potential. Usually the brainwashed guards volunteered, eager to please their favorite leader. Today, Kallah and Midna would. He was certain Ganondorf couldn't resist a show like that.

Again, if as if scarily on cue, the pounding in Kallah's head intensified signaling Ganondorf's entrance. He'd changed outfits from his dark black one to his extreme black one. How nice. He also smelled strongly of pig dung. Looks like he took a bath after all.

"Dear subjects, it is time for today's mock battles. Do I have any volunteers?"

Usually, his soldier companion always shot up his hand like a giddy school child. It would be different today.

"My lord, I would be honored if you allowed me this opportunity," Kallah said with a low bow.

Ganondorf's eyebrows raised in amusement. Kallah knew that look. Ganondorf frequently looked at him like that when Kallah did something out of the ordinary. Kallah was the last to volunteer. He could almost hear Ganondorf's thoughts.

_So you wish to fight, boy? How intriguing._

"My lord, please allow me to be his opponent," Midna quickly added, politely curtseying.

"You too, Midna? To what do I deserve this honor of my two most special soldiers requesting to battle each other?"

"My dear leader, I have been eager to battle soldier Kallah since I saw his display at the Academy's graduation ceremony," Midna replied. "I am always eager to test my abilities against a strong challenger."

Kallah couldn't help but commend Midna on her lying skills. Usually she was horrible at acting. Then again, there was truth behind Midna's statement. Perhaps she wasn't lying after all.

"Your Majesty, I am also intrigued by soldier Midna's vast abilities," Kallah added. "She would be a most admirable opponent."

Ganondorf leaned back in his chair. "Very well then. I'm looking forward to your battle. Do put on a great show for the students for me, alright? I want them to see what happens when two elite soldiers battle."

"My lord," Kallah and Midna chimed in unison, both bowing low and moving to get into the arena. The arena was right next to the lazy hog's room. The wallpaper retreated upwards to reveal a very thick layer of glass. Already the students of the Academy were filing in, eager to see how the elite soldiers battle.

Kallah removed his guard outfit, electing to wear a simple black spandex suit. The tight fabric clung to his body. The material was very breathable, which is why Kallah always selected it. Using spiritual energy produced a great amount of sweat, as he was sure poor Link was quickly discovering. Although he elected for the tank top version, he did wear sleeves. One thing about spiritual energy users is that they always go after their opponents' arms. Spiritual energy cannot be manifested without proper arm movements.

The rules for a mock battle are simple. The biggest rule is that you cannot kill your opponent. Killing your opponent leads to your own death. It is a no-holds battle and everything as long as it is produced by spiritual energy, is legal. The battle ends when either one fighter concedes defeat or their arms are disabled.

Kallah took a deep breath. Midna wasn't going to be easy. He'd seen her fight a couple of times and she never lost a battle. That was why she too graduated at the top of her class. He fully expected her to come at him with full strength. At least he hoped she'd attack him with all of her power, because that's what he was going to do.

After securing his watch, which monitored his vitals and location, Kallah stepped into the open arena. He could feel hundreds of pairs of beady little eyes trained on him. After all, although he hated to admit it, he was a bit of a legend around the Academy.

Midna entered the arena from the other side. Her outfit was a deep blue. She also chose the spandex material, which flattered her curves very nicely if Kallah was allowed to comment. Her bright red hair was pulled into a messy ponytail. Out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but notice Midna was also looking him up and down. She seemed to be the tiniest bit pleased with what she saw.

_**Nice outfit, hotshot.**_

Kallah grinned. _You too, fire queen._

_**No holding back, okay? I'm coming at your pretty little face with all my strength.**_

_I wouldn't expect anything else. We do have a reputation to uphold._

The monitor of the mock battle, usually a professor at the Academy, was rattling off the boring rules and regulations of the fight. When he was done blabbing, Kallah and Midna politely bowed to each other. Kallah extended his hand to her.

"I look forward to a wonderful battle."

Midna paused, deciding what to do, before extending her own hand and shaking his. Kallah smiled. Her grip was surprisingly delicate for one so feisty.

"I hope you're prepared to lose, pretty boy." Midna gave Kallah's hand a quick squeeze.

"Not in a million years," Kallah replied as Midna released her grip and walked to her side of the arena.

_I need you on my side._

He could've sworn he saw Midna smile.

Kallah then turned to his own side, pausing when he reached his designated starting zone. He took a few deep breaths, feeling Ganondorf's influence decrease immensely. He almost completely lifted his hold on them.

Looks like even the overgrown pig was looking forward to a good fight.

The automated voice began the countdown.

"Three. Two. One." The gunshot sounded the start of the battle.

Almost immediately after the sound, a wave of blue energy was flung at Kallah. Kallah dodged quickly to the side, raising his arms in a red barrier. He could feel Midna probe at his brain, attempting to discover his strengths and weaknesses.

Kallah grinned. She was strong, but not quite strong enough.

_Nice try. You'll have to work harder than that to break my defenses._

Even though she was still on the other side of the stadium, he could've sworn he heard her grumble something about stupid pretty boys.

Two could play at that game. Kallah, with his barrier still raised in case Midna attacked him while he was probing her energy, began to delve deep into her conscious. What were Midna's strengths and weaknesses? What was her battle strategy? How did she plan to fight Kallah?

Kallah was shocked when a strong force knocked him out of focus. That was unexpected. No one could ever prevent him from reading their energy.

_Huh. Not bad, Midna._

_**What was that? Right, I remember. 'You'll have to work harder than that'.**_

_Point taken._

Kallah grinned. A psychic battle was no fun, anyways. It looks like they'd have to do this the old fashioned way. No mind reading, no old fashioned tricks, just a good round of attacks.

Now if only he could figure out where the feisty girl went. Midna took advantage of Kallah's searching and created a smoke shield around her area of the arena. With Midna's speed, she could quickly pounce and attack. In theory, Kallah wouldn't see it coming.

A nice gimmick, but tricks don't work on him.

Focusing his energy out through the palm of his right hand, he sent red waves towards Midna's shadow barrier. Although his energy dissipated quickly upon contact with the layer of smoke, the light it emitted was enough for Kallah to spot Midna's location.

There she is.

Kallah launched himself into the air using his energy, sending vibrant red beams towards Midna. Instead of looking annoyed that her trick didn't work, Midna grinned. She was clearly enjoying the challenge.

_**It wouldn't be fun if you were easy to beat.**_

_I seem to recall needing to defeat you for you to come with me after work today._

_**What a horrible way to ask a woman out.**_

Midna, quickly discovering that her smoke shield was virtually ineffective against Kallah, removed her defenses and instead focused her energy in strong beams of blue. Her blue light clashed with Kallah's red, creating a purple light show. It was now a test of wills. For minutes, the two remained completely focused on their victory and the battle remained at a standstill. After some time, Kallah felt his own energy grip slipping.

It looks like he'd underestimated Midna's true strength.

No. Kallah shut his eyes. If he didn't defeat her, Midna would not meet Zelda. The Princess of Destiny needed allies, especially a powerful ally like Midna. Link needed her help, too. Her unique use of magic could certainly help Link develop into the true Hero. Everyone was counting on him for his mission.

Another feeling emerged stronger than that.

_I don't want to be alone anymore._

With his newfound strength, Kallah pushed through Midna's attack, knocking her to the ground. He followed through, landing right next to her. His arm, lit ablaze by his spiritual energy, pinned her to the ground.

Midna smiled.

"I concede defeat," she announced.

Kallah practically collapsed from the strain, clutching his chest. His heartbeat was still racing. Sweat dripped down his face. His eyes, which were normally a bright blue color, were a deep red. After moments of calming himself, they started to fade back into their normal color.

Midna was breathing heavily as well. Although a bit shaken from the fall, she seemed otherwise unharmed.

"You know, it's considered proper etiquette for the man to help the lady off the ground," she said, extending her hand to him. After taking a few more gasping breaths, Kallah smiled and took her hand, pulling her off the ground.

"Ew," she grumbled, wiping her hand on her shirt. "You're all sweaty."

"Hey, you're the one who asked for my help," Kallah protested, still having trouble breathing normally.

"Yeah, that was pretty stupid, I'll admit." She leaned close, her breath light on his cheek. "I'm a woman of my word. I'll go with you after work."

They were talking because both of their energy was drained. Thankfully, after every mock battle the contestants received rejuvenating herbs. Looks like the dear leader can be grateful after all.

"Until then?" he asked.

"Until then, try not to go crazy from that damn clock."

* * *

Whew. Work was finally over. Kallah waited for Midna outside of the castle gates. She had already changed into her regular outfit, which was a blue and black dress of some sort. Kallah really wasn't an expert on women's fashion.

"So, where's your ride?" she called, slinging her jacket over her shoulder.

"I teleport to work."

"Lazy," Midna grumbled. "So how are you going to take me with you since I don't know where you live?"

"We could walk?" Kallah offered lamely.

Midna raised an eyebrow at him. Clearly she wasn't pleased. Oh well. There were some things you couldn't change no matter how hard you wanted them to. She walked past Kallah and started heading away from the castle doors.

Kallah chuckled before hurrying to follow her. "We'll have to take public transportation to get to District Three."

"Aren't you men supposed to chauffer us women around? I can't even remember the last time I was forced to sit on a smelly ol' bus."

"Neither can I, if it helps. I wasn't really expecting that I would invite you home today so that's why I'm unprepared."

"Next time, ask me out when you are expecting me."

The two walked in silence for a moment, both lost in their thoughts, Due to the various strains at work, both Midna and Kallah were barely using the spiritual energies. Finally, Kallah broke the silence. He had a few questions he'd been meaning to ask her.

"Your spiritual energy…it's not like the common spiritual energy you see around here."

Midna nodded, clearly impressed. "Huh. You noticed."

"You're a member of the shadow tribe, aren't you?"

Midna stopped. Kallah turned to look at her. Midna, usually so upbeat and full of life, looked sad. "How did you know?" she asked quietly.

"Other than your unnatural appearance? It may surprise you, but red hair isn't a common trait for us Hylians."

"Besides the obvious," Midna pressed, running up to Kallah. She grabbed his shoulders. "How did you know!"

"I figured it out when our energies clashed during the mock battle," Kallah said, trying to stop Midna from shaking him like a rag doll. "As I'm sure you're aware, when two energies combine at full force, it opens the door to their user's spirit."

Midna reluctantly released her grip on him. "So you only noticed because our energies collided."

"I'm sure no one else knows if that's what you're concerned about."

Midna nodded. "Members of the shadow tribe are executed on the spot. That son of a bitch Ganondorf betrayed his own tribe..."

Kallah held up a hand to stop her. "Why don't you save it for a safer place. Besides, I'm sure the Princess would be interested in hearing about your tribe."

"The Princess? As in the Princess of the royal family?"

Kallah nodded. "Her name is Zelda. I'm sure she'd be honored to meet you."

"Why didn't you say that before," Midna grumbled. "Then I would have agreed without bothering to fight you. Do you know how much energy I exhausted during that fight?"

Kallah laughed. "You know us men. We always have to make it difficult for women."

"That's my line," Midna retorted. "Seriously, though, man…"

"You're glad we fought," Kallah told her gently. "Aren't you?"

"Hmmph!" Midna protested. "As if. Let me tell you, I won't lose again. I will surpass you someday."

"Surpass me?" Kallah raised his eyebrow. "If I'm your highest sight then maybe you should raise your standards."

"Hey, hotshot. Where's that confidence? You're the strongest spiritual energy user I've ever known."

Kallah couldn't help but laugh lightly to himself. "…Yet."

* * *

After a hard day of training, Link was now preparing dinner. It was a little different, cooking for six people (_six!) _instead of two. While Link was gathering his ingredients, Sheik informed Zelda that if he was successful, Kallah would be bringing a new ally home with him. Luckily, Sheik and Impa had given Link all of these really tasty herbs and seasonings. It was good to be a cook sometimes.

Link hadn't made much progress that day. Although he was now a master of moving boxes and other physical objects even when he was distracted, he still couldn't manifest his energy into a physical form. He was also quite good at holding multiple telepathic conversations at once. But other than that, he hadn't progressed any further. Both Sheik and Impa were waiting for Kallah to come home. Maybe Kallah could pull something out of Link again.

Link frowned. They were relying on his brother a bit too much for his liking.

Zelda was watching Link worriedly from her spot at the table. She could tell he was restless. Earlier that day she asked Link if she could help him, to which he politely declined. She wanted to get to know the young hero a little more. She wanted to be there for him, not just because it was her duty as the Princess of Destiny, but because she wanted to.

Link smiled. He could feel what she was thinking. Even better, she seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact he was probing at her spirit. Zelda was too kind for her own good.

It was one of her many endearing qualities.

A knock on the door alerted both the teenagers and their companions to company. Link turned down the heat on the stove.

"We than—Kallah! Come in."

Link couldn't even remember the last time Kallah used a door. He soon saw the reason. Following Kallah was a very beautiful young woman. She was beautiful in a different way than Zelda. She had pierce, sharp red eyes, but what was most prominent was her long, bright red hair.

Kallah motioned for the woman to walk in first. She paused, eyeing Link.

"Is this your brother?" She asked Kallah. "He looks like you. Lovely. There are now two pretty boys instead of one."

"Har har," Kallah grumbled sarcastically. "Isn't it polite to introduce yourself?"

"The name's Midna," the young woman announced to the room. Kallah closed the door behind her. "I'm a member of the elite guard as well. It's nice to meet you all."

Zelda rose, gasping quickly and covering her hand with her mouth. Her bright green eyes were wide open in shock. "Are you a member of the shadow tribe?"

Shadow tribe? Link was confused. Weren't they all murdered by Ganondorf?

The young woman, apparently named Midna, bowed low to Zelda. "Your Grace. It is an honor to meet you. As your wisdom allows you to see all, I am indeed one of the last remaining members of the shadow tribe. I know at the very least I am the only survivor here in Hyrule."

"Rise, Midna," Zelda spoke gently, extending her hand to help Midna up. "Your tribe has been through so much pain and suffering. For that I am sorry."

"What happened between my people and the Hylians is simply ancient history. In the moment, right now, I am completely and utterly loyal to you, my Princess."

The history between the shadow tribe and Hylians was written in blood. The shadow tribe, wielders of dark magic, was the largest threat to the Sheikah and royal family. After their defeat in the Warring Era, they retreated. For centuries they lived in peace in their own nation. However, when Ganondorf came to power, he manipulated the shadow tribe's damaged pride and convinced the clan to once again declare war on the Hylians. After completely using his own people, Ganondorf murdered them on a public broadcast as a warning to any that may resist him. If a member of the shadow tribe is discovered, he or she is immediately sentenced to death.

"Midna disguises her energy well," Kallah spoke up. "To the average person, it is simply another form of our magic. I only discovered she was a member of the shadow tribe because she allowed me to figure it out."

"It is why I've lived so long," Midna explained. "It is also why I am able to resist Ganondorf's brainwashing."

"When I'm Queen and I sit atop my throne, I promise you this, Midna. The shadow clan will be forever welcome in Hyrule in an era of peace."

Midna again bowed to Zelda. "Your Grace, you have a pure heart. I am deeply honored you wish to restore peace between our two groups."

"We are not that different, you and I," Zelda continued. "We simply manifest our energy in different ways. Other than that, we are similar. We both have those we love. We both crave peace. We need each other."

Midna nodded, rising out of her bow. She turned to Kallah. "Thank you."

"Will you help us?" Zelda asked.

"Tell me what to do, milady, and it will be done."

Zelda smiled fondly, placing her hand on the taller woman's shoulder. "I would like you to assist Kallah on his reconnaissance mission. As I'm sure you're aware, it's too much to ask from one person. If the two of you work together, perhaps the burden will be easier."

"As you wish, Princess."

"Midna, I have a request," Kallah spoke up.

"Another one?" Midna frowned at him. "The first one wasn't too great, y'know. I had to sit next to an ugly obese man who smelled like cows on the bus. It was disgusting."

Kallah looked directly at Midna. Link guessed he was communicating with her using spiritual energy. After a brief moment, Midna sighed in defeat.

"Well, I guess I could help the little shrimp out," she said, turning to Link. "Hey, you. Kallah says you haven't honed your energy yet. You're not going to get very far without a physical form of your energy."

Link looked down, slightly embarrassed. "I just don't know how."

"Haven't you taught him anything?" Midna berated Kallah. Kallah pointed to Impa and Sheik.

"They're the ones that are supposed to be teaching him, not me."

Impa huffed. Sheik laughed. "They've got a point…"

Midna pinched the bridge of her nose. "I see I have my work cut out for me. Here, pretty boy junior, I'll tell you what. Tomorrow you and I will have a nice little private training session when I get back from work. You'll be crying the entire time, but I guarantee by the end of it you'll be able to use your energy to attack."

Link nodded. "I'm ready."

"Well, that's step one," Midna said. "Like your brother over here, confidence doesn't seem to be the issue."

"That was yesterday's problem," Sheik said. Impa poked him in the ribs.

Midna moved closer to Link, staring right into his eyes. Link could feel she was probing at his spirit. He decided to allow it. After all, she earned both Zelda and Kallah's trust.

"So this is the legendary hero, huh? Hoo. That's some serious power. Don't worry, we'll get you in Hero mode by the end of tomorrow. Well, folks, I probably should be off. I'll swing by tomorrow after work to pick up Junior here. Until then, try to stay out of trouble."

Kallah opened the door for her. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said.

Midna leaned close to him and whispered something in Kallah's ear. Link considered eavesdropping, but restrained himself. Whatever she told him, it was enough to make Kallah smile.

"Get out of here, you crazy imp."

"Who are you calling an imp? In case you haven't noticed, I'm taller than you are." Midna stuck her tongue out at him. "Milady, please let me know if this buffoon bothers you. I'll beat him up whenever."

Zelda laughed. "I don't think it will be necessary, but I'll keep that in mind."

With that, Midna left. Kallah locked the door behind her.

Sheik gave a low whistle.

"Some girl," he commented as Impa immediately smacked him.

"She'll help you develop your energy," Zelda told Link comfortingly. "We'll work on it tomorrow."

Link sighed. He hated feeling useless. Oh well, time to finish dinner. Kallah and Sheik were laughing about something. Impa and Zelda were discussing plans for tomorrow. Link smiled. It was almost like they were a family. It was a happy feeling, one he hadn't felt in a very long time. Now, if only he could truly help his family…

_I'm the Hero. I can't be useless. Look at how hard they're all trying. I want to help. Please. I want to help._

* * *

Link's vision blurred suddenly. When he opened his eyes, the whole world seemed to be multi-color. It was if Link somehow acquired heat-map vision. He glanced down at Zelda. Above her image, her full name appeared along with her vital statistics. Her heart rate and breathing were normal. Well that was a positive sign. Her body radiated a normal orange color, indicating normal temperature rate.

_**Today I met a member of the shadow tribe. She was wonderful. I'm making so many new friends.**_

That was Zelda's voice. But wait, she wasn't speaking or anything.

_**Damn, that girl was hot. She still pales in comparison to Impa…not like I'd ever tell her that.**_

Sheik? Sheik was standing a few paces behind Zelda. His name also appeared over his image. Turns out Sheik's heart rate was slightly elevated, probably from meeting Midna.

_**The Princess seems to be in good spirits. Sheik too. I'm glad. They're happier than I've seen them in a very long time.**_

That was Impa. Uncharacteristic, maybe, but Link knew Impa's voice. Impa's body temperature seemed to be a little bit cooler than the average. Well, at least that matched her personality.

Why was he seeing these things? It was like he was looking into all of their innermost thoughts.

_**I'm so tired…I need to rest…I can't keep doing this…**_

Kallah. Kallah's heart rate was slow and his breathing was fast, never a good combination. Link reached out to his brother, who instantly began coughing, collapsed to the ground.

No. Not him. Not Kallah.

_KALLAH!_

* * *

**A/N**

**Oooh, that was cruel. I couldn't resist. xD **

**What do you think is going on with Link? And what about poor Kallah? **

**Another lengthy chapter! It was honestly going to be longer but I thought this one was long enough for now. xD This, although it took me the longest to write, was so much fun. Midna's one of my favorite characters so I'm glad she's officially joined our band of heroes. I also really enjoy writing in Kallah's perspective which you may have picked up on. xD I'm curious to know what you all think of Kallah. Again, he's an OC but not really. ;)**

**If this is posted in time, that's three pretty long chapters in twenty four hours. Whoa! This isn't the norm, guys, although do expect to see the next one in the near future. I'm not that mean. ;) Who knows? Maybe I will keep churning them out for you all.**

**I made a cover for the story! Hopefully it's up by now. It's nothing fancy, but it does give a major clue to a certain character's identity... ;)**

**As always, please excuse the slight grammatical errors/typos that I'm sure are in here. Also excuse the horrible action writing. It's not really my strength. xD **

**Thank you so much for reading and I look forward to seeing you all in the next chapter! Here's a little teaser: the chapter is entitled "Spirit." :)**


	4. Spirit

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did, well, the story would probably go something like this. xD**

_**Ascension **_**is rated "T" for cursing, action description, and adult themes. **

****Please note that I've raised the rating, guys. I'm not sure if this particular chapter requires it, but the story as a whole has taken a much darker turn.****

* * *

_Spirit_

"Kallah!" Link screamed aloud, running over to his brother. Everyone stared at him with a puzzled expression on their face.

"What are you talking about, Link? Kallah's fine," Impa spoke up.

"No," Link whispered. "He's suffering. He's not breathing properly. He needs to rest."

Although the others in the room were still confused, Kallah immediately understood. "Good job," he praised, ruffling his brother's hair. "You just saw the world with your mind's eye."

Link was shaking. "Mind's eye?"

Kallah pulled him into a comforting hug, partially using Link's weight to support his own. "The term 'mind's eye' describes the action of using your spiritual energy to see the world," he explained gently. "In this view, you experience many different things. Firstly, you can see the name of the individual and basic vital statistics. Secondly, you hear that individual's innermost thoughts. I assume the world looked like a heat map? The colors indicate the temperature of whatever you're looking at."

Link clutched onto his brother. "You were in pain," he whimpered.

"I'm simply tired, Link. It's nothing to worry about."

Link frantically shook his head. "No," he said. "You weren't just tired. You were having trouble breathing. You even collapsed."

"Sometimes your mind shows the worst scenario," Kallah continued soothingly. "As you can see, I'm only tired."

"Even so," Zelda spoke up. "Link is gifted with the Hero's Spirit. It is likely that in his vision he saw the future. It's probably best if you rest, Kallah. Let Impa, Sheik, and I finish explaining to Link the nature of his new ability."

Kallah opened his mouth to protest before stopping as he noticed Link's expression. Link was still shaking and his bright blue eyes shone purely with tears. Kallah sighed, defeated.

"I'll leave it in your hands, Your Grace. Please excuse me for the evening." Kallah squeezed Link's shoulder in assurance one last time. He bowed low to Zelda before heading into the bedroom and closing the door behind him.

Link gnawed nervously at his lip, staring after his brother. He tried to stop his shaking, finding himself unable to. Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, he allowed Impa to lead him to the table and help him sit down. He couldn't shake the image of Kallah collapsing from his mind.

_Kallah was in pain. He was pleading for rest. I knew this mission would be too hard on him._

_**Hey. I'm fine. So calm down, okay?**_

"Stop using your energy!" Link cried aloud towards the direction of the bedroom.

_**Stop worrying and we'll see.**_

Link frowned. He wasn't worrying because he wanted to. He was deeply concerned for his brother's well-being. No one was more important to him than Kallah. Kallah was the only family member still alive and his best friend. Of course he cared for him.

_You're all I have._

Zelda gently placed her hand on Link's. "It's okay, Link," she said. After a moment of hesitation, she then used her other hand to rub Link's back in soothing circular motions. It wasn't the movement that calmed him. Link felt something else deep within his heart. Link tilted his head to glance at the princess. Her eyes were closed, deep in concentration. Link closed his own eyes, focusing on the rhythm of the movement. After a few moments, Link felt perfectly at peace. It was if something had come and washed away his troubles.

"Better now?" Zelda asked with a smile, giving his hand a squeeze.

Link nodded. "Thank you," he replied softly. It may have seemed ordinary, but Zelda used her spiritual energy in order to calm Link's own. He was eternally grateful.

"I may be a rotten cook, but I do make a mean green tea," Sheik responded, placing a mug in front of him. "Don't worry, it's not poison. Try some! I guarantee it'll be better than you think."

Before taking a swig, Link took a deep whiff of the tea's scent. Kallah often did so when he was tired or troubled. The tea's aroma contained calming properties. After letting the peaceful sensation fill his very soul, he took a long sip. Hmm. It was surprisingly quite good, although he'd accredit that more to the tea leaves than Sheik himself.

"Thank you," he said to Sheik. "It's delicious."

"See? I'm not hopeless," Sheik said to Impa.

Impa crossed her arms over her chest. "All you did was add hot water to the tea leaves. I'd hardly attribute the taste to you." She turned to Link. "Do you understand what seeing with the mind's eye is, or would you like another explanation?"

Link had a basic understanding. Apparently, using his spiritual energy, he could enhance his normal vision. In this mode, he could see a person's temperature, their full name, their vital signs, and could peek into their innermost thoughts. He had no idea how to activate this power, but at least he knew what that strange feeling was.

Link shuddered. He didn't want to activate it accidentally again. That was freaky.

"We'll work on controlling it tomorrow afternoon," Impa continued.

There was something that was bothering him.

"Why did I see Kallah collapse?" he asked Zelda. "You mentioned something that I may have the ability to see the future."

"Your love for your brother is strong," Zelda replied. "Most likely it was this love that heightened your abilities temporarily. With your vast energy, you do have the potential, as do I, to foresee the future. Since Kallah did not actually show signs of collapse, we can only come to the conclusion that you saw the future. Seeing the future is a dangerous art. Very often you only foresee parts, not the entire picture, which can lead to misunderstanding. I'd recommend ignoring this ability for now, at least until the rest of your powers has developed."

Impa nodded. "Foresight, as the princess explained, is a tool not to be taken lightly. You are not ready for this ability yet."

"But," Zelda added encouragingly, "I'm proud of you. Usually it takes years for one to see with their mind's eye. You managed this on the second day. You are truly amazing, Link."

Link smiled, grateful for her words of support. Of course, it was his power, not him, that was so amazing. After all, he was blessed with arguably the most powerful spiritual energy known to the entire Hylian race. Naturally, it was more advanced than other powers.

Something nagged at the back of Link's mind, a weary feeling he couldn't shake. Why him? Why did the Goddesses select Link instead of someone more capable, like Kallah? Kallah was much better suited for this hero business. Link was…Link. An ordinary Hylian who would much rather spend his days lazing around the house cooking and getting lost in a good book. Link wasn't physically special. Sure, he could hold his own in a fight if he had to, but that was about it. He'd do everything he could because you can't change destiny, but he couldn't help feeling that the Goddesses screwed up with their Hero selection.

Kallah's words from yesterday regarding confidence echoed in his mind. Link shook his head, clearing his mind from all negative thoughts. He couldn't afford to think like that, not now.

"I'm going to go check on Kallah," Sheik announced. "I'll be right back."

Link returned his focus to the present. He finally noticed that his and Zelda's hands were still intertwined. That gave him comfort in and of itself. She believed in him. So did Kallah. If they saw something in him, then maybe there was more to Link. He only had to discover it himself.

Zelda nodded as if hearing his mental conversation with himself. "You can do it, Link."

_**I'm not all you have anymore.**_

* * *

Kallah smiled. Zelda's presence really seemed to calm his nervous little brother's anxiety. Link was known to have mild panic attacks and overreact at the smallest things. Some called it a character flaw but Kallah saw it as an endearing trait. It only confirmed how huge his brother's heart was. There wasn't a single non-caring bone in his brother's body. He loved all.

_That's why you're the hero, Link. Your heart._

He made sure Link couldn't hear him. His brother would have to figure it out on his own one of these days. Of course, selfless people rarely notice that they're selfless. It's partly that denial that defines them as selfless in the first place. Funny, his mother used to tell Kallah that he was too kind as well. Huh.

He was pretty certain the lovesick teenager was currently infatuated with certain princess anyways. What a typical teenage boy. Can't get anything productive with a pretty girl nearby.

A knock on the door alerted jerked him out of his reverie. He recognized the spiritual energy as Sheik's. He was beginning to enjoy the Sheikah's company.

"Come in," he called.

Sheik lazily entered the room and sat down on Link's bed opposite of Kallah. "How are you feeling?"

Kallah, who had been sprawled out across his bed, righted himself into a sitting position leaning against the wall for support. Although the throbbing in his head seemed to have subsided, he did feel incredibly weak. He felt cold too for some odd reason.

"Eh. I could sleep for the next century. Other than that, I'm fine."

"The kid was pretty worried about you," Sheik observed.

"He's a bit of a worrywart. Seriously, if it wasn't obvious you'd think he was my mother."

"He's definitely a worrier," Sheik agreed, "although damn his power is incredible."

"Well, he is the possessor of the Hero's Spirit. We all know what that energy is capable of."

"But Kallah, you know this as well as anyone, the more energy one has, the harder it is to control."

"That's why Link's so impressive," Kallah pulled his blanket around his body for warmth. He made a mental note to crank up the heat when everyone left. It was freezing. "The oblivious moron thinks it's his power's doing. He fails to recognize that the incredible one is him. He has loads of power and for the most part he's doing a pretty good job controlling it."

"Tomorrow Impa wants to work on mental suggestion."

"If Link's already mastered the mind's eye, than that should be no sweat for him."

"That's what I thought. At this rate, the only thing left to teach him will be the physical manifestation, which we're leaving in Midna's hands."

"Mastering that many techniques in three days," Kallah said with a small chuckle. "Who's the incredible one now, Link?" He muttered under his breath quietly so Sheik couldn't hear. The Sheikah raised his eyebrow in confusion. Kallah waved it away. "It's nothing, don't worry about it. I have to thank you and Impa. He's made huge strides under your guidance."

"Pah, I think it was more you than us," Sheik responded. "Although I'm a better teacher than Impa if we're holding a competition."

Kallah laughed, although it quickly turned into a harsh cough. Sheik shot him a worried look.

Sheik had a reason to be concerned. Coughing was an indication that a spiritual user's energy was currently depleted. Since the spiritual energy was contrived of the user's spirit and life force, not enough energy led to health problems. The most common repercussions were fatigue and loss of body heat. Coughing was in the next tier, representing a severe lack of energy. With coughing came difficulty breathing. Finally, if the user still continued to use their energy regardless, it would lead to collapse, vomiting blood, and in the worst case, death.

Kallah shivered, coughing one more time into his fist before forcing his body to relax. He was no fool, he knew how dangerously low his spiritual energy was at the moment.

_Crap. Looks like I really overdid it today. Is this what it's going to be like from now on?_

"Want me to go get you some tea?" Sheik asked quietly when Kallah's fit was over.

"No, that's okay, I'm fine." Kallah cleared his throat. "Hand me Link's blanket though, he won't need it."

Sheik tossed the blanket over. "I'm glad you have an ally in your mission now. It should help ease the burden. Plus, Link's getting much stronger so you won't have to use your energy around him as much anymore."

_I suppose. He's right, but I can't help but feel like it's only going to get worse from here on out._

"Speaking of which," Sheik changed the subject, "how is our fire princess?"

"If you're referring to Midna, she's a royal pain in the neck."

"That's how it should be. Who would have guessed she was a member of the shadow tribe?"

Kallah shrugged. "I had an idea, but I didn't know for sure until I fought her."

"So she really played hard to get?" Sheik nudged Kallah playfully. "You won her over. Way to go, stud."

"Shut up," Kallah snarled good-naturedly with a playful scowl. "She said she'd only agree if I fought her in a mock battle first. Needless to say, I won, but it was a difficult fight. She's a tough little cookie."

"Dude, she's larger than you. That's not cool."

"I'm small. I get it. Go ahead and laugh."

"You know what they say about small men…"

"Sheik, _shut up._" Kallah cut him off with a growl.

Sheik was practically on the floor laughing. Wiping tears of laughter out of his eyes, he calmed himself before continuing. "All jokes aside, what do you think of her?"

"She's a strong fighter and will be a great asset to our cause."

"Cut the political crap, Kallah. What do you think?"

Kallah smiled despite himself.

"I think she's my kind of girl."

* * *

"Link, focus."

If Link had a penny for every time he heard those words, he'd be rich. So rich he could probably leave Hyrule. After working on activating his mind's eye all morning, he was now attempting to force Impa to eat an apple using mind control. So far, Impa had taken three bites out of the apple, but that was because she was going easy on him. Link hated that. Kallah used to go easy on him when they played board games all the time. Victory never tasted so bitter.

"I _am _focusing," he muttered between grit teeth. Impa either didn't hear him or decided to ignore that statement.

"Let's try again. Force me to eat the apple."

Link took a deep breath, sending all other thoughts out of his mind. He concentrated on visualizing Impa take huge bites out of the apple. When he was satisfied with his progress, he then focused on penetrating Impa's defenses. He sent a wave of his energy towards her mind, probing at the very center of her spiritual energy. Immediately he felt resistance. Normally he would be thrown off, but not this time. Grinding his teeth and steadying his grip, Link strengthened his own spirit and continued to press.

_Impa, eat the apple._

He didn't doubt he could do it. He couldn't afford to second guess himself. Everyone was counting on him to grow spiritually. He was going to succeed, right here and now.

In his mind, he once again pictured Impa eating the apple. In his vision, Impa ate every single bite right down to the core.

"Link! You did it!"

Zelda was famous for ruining Link's concentration.

"Huh?" Poof. With that, Link's concentration was gone. He could hear Impa berating him for losing focus so quickly in his mind already. Timidly, he shot a glance towards Impa. To his surprise, she was smiling at him. On the box before her lay an apple core.

He did it.

"Yes!" Link couldn't contain his glee. Mind control was one of the last remaining skills he had to master. With this, all he needed was to manifest his energy in a physical form. He was almost there.

"Well look at that. Maybe you will be a fine hero after all."

* * *

_**Hey hotshot. Notice anything?**_

_For the hundredth time, no._

Midna was taking her job as a spy a little too seriously. Kallah appreciated her efforts, but her constant nagging him about the mission was putting a strain on his spiritual energy. With Ganondorf around, it was hard to poke around the dictator's things. With the dear leader's brainwaves still threatening to overcome him any moment, Kallah guarded his energy wisely. He was waiting for the opportune moment.

_**There's got to be something…**_

_The mock battle will start soon. Maybe then we can snoop around a bit. Until then, relax. You're antsy. He's sure to notice something is different._

_**But I'm bored!**_

Kallah sighed, careful to make the noise of frustration inaudible. He should've known Midna would be a horrible spy. After all, she was a lousy actress and had virtually no control over her emotions whatsoever.

Besides Midna's poor drama skills, there was something else that was bothering Kallah. Something seemed different. No, he was pretty certain it didn't have to do with Midna's presence. It was about Ganondorf. Something seemed odd about him.

Thoughts swirled around in Kallah's head. He hid them with his spiritual energy but he was growing more and more concerned that Ganondorf was aware two members of his guard were resisting the brainwashing. If he knew, why was he keeping quiet about it? Surely he'd attempt to brainwash them or even publicly execute them. At the very least Kallah expected to be called out for some reason or another. It was an eerie tension.

Something was very wrong. Kallah just didn't know what.

"Dear friends, I think the citizens of Hyrule have been far too disobedient," Ganondorf spoke up. The only ones in the room were his private guard.

Disobedient? What was he talking about? To Kallah's knowledge, there weren't any uprisings. There hadn't been any public demonstrations, no executions, no…nothing. Hyrule's citizens were programmed to obey. Computers didn't know how to be disobedient.

The only sign of resistance was the few in Princess Zelda's group. His group. The very group he was spying for. Had Ganondorf read his mind and discovered the Princess? No, Kallah guarded that information in the innermost depths of his spiritual energy. Surely Midna was protecting that secret as well. As open with her emotions as she may be, no one hated Ganondorf more than Midna. She wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize her opportunity for revenge.

_**Kallah, you don't think…**_

…_that he's referring to us? _

Kallah prepared his mental defenses for the worst.

"I heard rumors about a slight change in our educational system," Ganondorf continued, twirling his pen in his fingers. "Some teacher apparently taught the students about the history of Hyrule."

Kallah narrowed his eyes. So there was another resistor. None of Ganondorf's puppets had the capacity to remember Hyrule's history. If it weren't for the ancient texts his father saved, Kallah wouldn't know about it himself. Even so, teaching about a country's history wasn't a moral crime!

"Sir!" the soldier chimed next to him. "All those against you must be brought to justice!"

The other soldiers in the room began chanting similar statements. Kallah mumbled half-heartedly something about Ganondorf needing to prove his power. Midna screamed something about absolute rule.

How was teaching history against Ganondorf? Kallah would never understand. The slightest thing would be used to fuel Ganondorf's power. Then again, there was nothing more powerful than education. Ganondorf may be several things, but he was no fool.

"Zant. Vaati. Byrne. All with me," Ganondorf commanded.

Byrne. That was the name of the soldier posted next to Kallah. He was the one that was always quick to praise the dear leader and volunteer his strength. Kallah honestly knew very little about him. He graduated in a class a few years ahead of him and Midna. He was a taller, bigger man with long dark hair pulled into a ponytail. His eyes were sharp, always focusing on something.

Ganondorf admired Byrne's loyalty, which is why Ganondorf always sought his advice. Kallah watched him battle almost every day and he had to admit Byrne's skills were impressive. He could probably fight with Midna neck and neck. It was a shame. Byrne clearly had enough energy to resist Ganondorf. Something had prevented him from doing so.

_**We need to get in on that meeting, Kallah.**_

Midna's message jerked Kallah back to reality.

_How? In case you hadn't noticed, we're not on the invite list._

_**Do you have enough energy? I would, but…**_

Kallah knew what she was referring to. Although it was the last thing he wanted to do, it was probably the best shot they had at figuring out Ganondorf's plan. Clearly he wasn't going to let the educational system slide for this treachery. Some sort of punishment would be decided. In order for him to protect the innocent children that would likely be affected, he needed to know that plan.

Midna's suggestion was a bit crazy. If he was found out, he'd surely be executed for treachery. Normally, he would use his spiritual energy to simply eavesdrop on their conversation. No chance of that. He wasn't stupid enough to attempt probing Ganondorf's. The others were so brainwashed that it wasn't even worth it.

Midna's plan was to use mind control. It was a bit more complex than that. She was looking to do a full-body takeover. Just like the name implies, a full-body takeover is when one uses their spiritual energy to control another's mind, body, and spirit for a set amount of time. In order for the takeover to be successful, the individual's conscience must be completely suppressed and their memory wiped so they have no recollection of being taken over.

Even without needing to combat Ganondorf's brainwaves, it was a risky process that sapped spiritual energy. Kallah's spiritual energy would be nearly depleted when the process—if successful—was finished.

_Do you have any energy to spare?_

In order for Kallah to survive the aftereffects of the procedure, he'd need some of Midna's spiritual energy. He knew she didn't have much to spare, but a little bit made the difference between Kallah's life and his doom.

_**I have enough. Do you think you can do it?**_

_It doesn't look like we have much of a choice either way. _

_**Good luck.**_

_Thanks. I'll need it._

Kallah's target was Byrne. Zant and Vaati, aside from being incredibly annoying, were closer to Ganondorf than Byrne was. Their eccentric personalities also made hacking their spiritual energy more difficult. Kallah also couldn't shake the fact that Byrne was a better person than those two buffoons. Zant and Vaati seemed crazy and probably would have sided with Ganondorf regardless of the brainwashing. Byrne was different.

_I'm sorry Byrne. You seem like a good guy. I'm going to have to invade your conscience for a little bit._

He waited for Ganondorf to leave the room so his brainwaves would lessen the toll on Kallah's spiritual energy. As Ganondorf left, Byrne trailing behind, Kallah saw his opportunity. Byrne would hesitate a moment as Kallah invaded and he couldn't afford for anything to look suspicious.

_**Now, Kallah!**_

Inhaling deeply, Kallah focused all of his attention on penetrating Byrne's spiritual energy. Sending everything he had at Byrne, the two spiritual energies collided. Byrne froze, mental defenses raised high.

_Who are you? What are you doing to me? Get out! I will tell the Lord Ganondorf!_

Not this time. Kallah, having far superior energy, quickly infiltrated Byrne's defenses and temporarily took over his body. With that, Kallah's mind went blank.

* * *

_Where am I?_

Kallah found himself standing before an elderly old lady in a wheelchair. Kallah couldn't hear the words she spoke, but the woman looked incredibly sad. Streams of tears ran down her face, screaming and reaching for him. Kallah felt himself being pulled away from her. As he was being dragged, he made out what the woman was saying.

"Byrne!"

_**I'm so sorry, Grandma Anjean. I failed you. I wanted power so I could avenge Mom and Dad's death and look has what become of me. I'm no better than the one who murdered my parents! I'm so sorry! Forgive me…**_

Images flashed before Kallah. He heard the desperate howls of a woman clearly in pain. A man screamed for her, throwing himself at her body before being struck down by some sort of weapon. Another scene showed a dark figure offering the promise of revenge and power. A small girl, stained crimson from blood lay on the ground before him. Kallah looked down to see his hands stained with blood. No matter how hard he washed, the blood would not rinse off. Screaming in agony, Kallah could not believe at who he'd become. He was now a murderer. He was a monster.

_**I want this pain to end…**_

Ganondorf's brainwashing came as a relief. Although he had the capacity to resist, Kallah found himself immediately allowing himself to be brainwashed. Now brainwashed, his entire mind was consumed with serving his dear ruler. His only purpose was to make his leader proud. He wasn't a murderer. His decisions were already made for him. He always wore a dark black suit to work. He left his house at seven fifteen sharply so he could arrive at work on time. Every day he would battle to show off his skills. He wouldn't eat anything other than Ganondorf's favorite burger. No longer would he be tempted to make a wrong decision.

_**With this, I won't hurt anyone anymore.**_

* * *

Kallah grit his teeth, careful not to allow the tears that threatened to fall as he brought himself back to reality.

The first thing he noticed when he came to was that he was tall.

Huh, this is kind of nice. Kallah could get used to looking down instead of up.

A glance at his prosthetic left arm reassured Kallah that his takeover was successful. He was now Byrne, the dutiful, brainwashed soldier.

During the takeover, it is not uncommon for the two involved to become spiritually connected. For a brief moment, Kallah's memories were Byrne's as he was sure Byrne saw his own flashbacks. Byrne's pain was real for Kallah. They were temporarily connected.

Kallah's suspicions were confirmed as well. Byrne was originally a good guy. Like every other Hylian in this world, he was struck by tragedy. Brainwashing was his only consolation.

Kallah had another person to fight for now.

That didn't matter now. Kallah had a mission to complete. Nodding slightly in Midna's direction, he followed Ganondorf into the private room and shut the door behind him. It was time.

"My sources in District Five indicate that this treacherous teacher has been foolishly teaching students about not only the Warring Era, but my rise to power," Ganondorf informed them. "I believe the fool's name is Anjean."

_Anjean! No…_

Kallah recognized the name. Byrne referred to the elderly woman in his memories as "Grandma Anjean." Surely brainwashed Byrne wouldn't recognize her.

At the same time, Anjean may be the only one who could save Byrne.

Kallah kept his face neutral. In the moment, he was brainwashed Byrne, the soldier who did everything for his dear leader regardless of the task. That is who he was now.

"Sir, I recommend forceful action," Kallah advised. Byrne was always eager to use force for whatever reason. He couldn't count how many times Byrne called for force. "I would be eager to lead the raid on District Five and slay the traitor if your lordship would allow me."

Kallah had his reasons for saying what he did. Firstly, that's what Byrne the soldier machine would say. Secondly, maybe fighting Anjean would help Byrne remember who he truly was. It seemed like a good solution.

Ganondorf laughed. "My dear Byrne, you're always so eager to fight. It is why I admire you so. Very well then, I will leave the old coot to you. However, this isn't a simple assassination assignment." He turned to the other loonies.

"What do you recommend, my lord?" Vaati cackled. "If you're thinking what I am…"

"All who resist must be punished," Zant echoed eerily. "My lord, we must teach the citizens that the failure of one is failure of them all."

"Yes, my pets. I assure you, that is what we'll do. I have my plans for District Five. Zant, you will eliminate the entirety of District Five and all of their citizens. Vaati, you are to ensure that no citizens leave alive. The entire thing will be broadcast, of course. No one, be it man, woman, or child, will be left alive in District Five. It will cease to exist in two day's time."

It took all of Kallah's self-restraint to keep him from punching Ganondorf in the face. He was outraged. Actually, outrage was an understatement.

District Five is a schooling district. Its purpose is to educate the youth of the population and train them to be model students. That being said, it is the district where the majority of Hyrule's child population lives. Many elderly people live there as well, some as mentors and others as caretakers. It also has the highest female population of all the districts as well. It was the district of the innocents.

Ganondorf planned to annihilate a children's district because of a history lesson.

Two days. They had two days to act. If they failed, so many innocent lives would be lost. If they succeeded, it would go a great deal to freeing Hyrule.

It would also bring the Resistance and Princess Zelda out of hiding.

_No._

Kallah's heart sank. He knew immediately what was going on. The whole thing about the history lesson was a load of crap. Ganondorf knew that Princess Zelda was out there. He knew she and her followers wouldn't ignore District Five's cry for help.

It was a ploy.

There was nothing Kallah could do about it.

Ganondorf was staring straight at him. Kallah said something about how the plan was wonderful and how amazing the dear leader was. He honestly didn't even know what was coming out of his mouth. The fact he managed to get words out of his mouth was an accomplishment because he was so upset he didn't even know what to say.

"I look forward to discussing this tomorrow. Now, begone all of you! Allow me a moment to ponder my next move."

The three attendants, including Kallah, made noises of praise and bowed, then took their leave. The second he left the room, Kallah left Byrne's body, meticulously erasing the soldier's memory of the past half an hour.

Things were about to become a lot more difficult.

* * *

"I think that went rather well," a voice beside him spoke.

Ganondorf lounged at his desk. There was a bunch of rather tedious papers he just had to sign. Brainwashed citizens still had to function somewhat or it would be no fun. His dear brother Ghirahim was beside him. Ghirahim was his private second in command. Usually he observed from the shadows. Ganondorf couldn't let the Princess's little lapdog to know everything about him as tempting as it was.

That would just be so much fun.

"I have to give the boy credit. Performing a full body takeover is no small feat. Especially when you consider the fact Byrne has an impressive amount of energy himself. Clearly the silly thing must be exhausted."

"Now would be an excellent time to brainwash the pesky thing," Ghirahim said. "I just loathe that boy. He always seems to mess up my perfectly laid plans. Won't you let me play with him, brother?"

"Shut up you fool and be silent," Ganondorf rubbed his temple. Ghirahim had a penchant for dramatics and while that was usually entertaining, Ganondorf wasn't in the mood. Ghirahim was right. In his current state, Kallah wouldn't stand a chance against Ganondorf's brainwashing. He could easily take over the boy and rid his pathetic attempt at resisting once and for all.

But no. He had bigger plans for the child.

"What about that girl, what's her name? The one with the unsightly attitude."

"Her name is irrelevant," Ganondorf took a swig of his red wine. It was his favorite type of wine, mixed in with the blood of a venomous spider. "She has proven to be interesting. I'm surprised she's lasted this long."

"She won't last much longer, my exalted brother," Ghirahim said. "It's only a matter of time. Now him, on the other hand, he has the potential to be quite annoying. Like the gum on the bottom of my shoe. Simply irritating and repulsive."

Kallah. Yes, Ganondorf couldn't forget that name. He was after all, his favorite pupil. Ever since he was a small child, the boy had the audacity to resist his brainwashing. No matter how much Ganondorf tried, the youth simply would not budge an inch. Now he was clearly acting as a spy for the pesky Princess. Ganondorf even suspected that the boy figured out the whole District Five thing was a ploy to drag out the resistors. Amazing. Simply incredible. The boy's talents were immense, perhaps greater than Ganondorf's own.

How he loved a challenge.

"Brother, I will admit the child is good for _that_…"

Ah, yes, _that_. The very master plan behind everything. Ghirahim was right, as he usually was. The child was absolutely perfect. It was only a matter of time before Ganondorf would be able to set his plan into motion.

All it took was a little patience.

_Watch out, Princess. Enjoy your small victories, because soon I will rule the entire world._

* * *

**A/N**

**There you have it, folks, we're now at the end of Chapter 4. Uh oh, looks like Ganondorf's up to something. Princess Zelda's resistance is in a tight spot. What do you think our heroes will do? **

**Here's your question of the chapter: What would you do if you were in Kallah's position? **

**This chapter is a bit shorter than the other ones, mostly because it seemed like such a great place to end. I apologize for the horrible evil writing. As much as I love my evil characters, I am never good at writing them. xD As always, excuse any minor grammar mistakes and or typos.**

**First of all, I would like to thank all of you again for your wonderful reviews and feedback on this story. I am so glad to know all of you are enjoying the story and each and every one of your reviews is incredibly touching. If you're a member of the site and review, I do try to respond personally to each review via personal message. Please, I encourage everyone to contact me via personal message if you have any questions or you'd like to discuss this story. **

**On that note, I'd like to give a small shout-out to Snowyflakes. Her review and thoughtful insight greatly inspired the "mind-takeover" scene between Byrne and Kallah. Thank you so much for your feedback and helping me write a better story!**

**I'm enjoying reading all of your ideas regarding Kallah! Keep 'em coming, as I do love them.**

**I don't have the next chapter's title this time, but I will say we have one more chapter before the first big battle between the Resistance and Ganondorf. **

**Thank you again so much and I'll see you in the next chapter! :)**


	5. Arrival

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did… xD**

_**Ascension **_**is rated "T" for mild language, eventual action description, and adult themes.**

* * *

_Arrival_

_Breathe. Just focusing on breathing for now._

_**Kallah…are you okay?**_

Ah, the infamous "are you okay" question. It was often overused, especially when the asker knew full well the recipient wasn't okay at all. Midna was no fool. She knew Kallah was on the verge of collapse. She was looking for a verbal reassurance that somehow he would make it through the day with his body and spirit intact.

_I'll be—_

Kallah couldn't even finish the spiritual message. The moment he attempted to send it, his whole body seized. The migraine pulsating in his head was louder than any sound he'd ever heard.

_Let go of your spirit. Allow me to ease your pain._

No. Kallah wouldn't give in. With his spiritual energy so dangerously low, Ganondorf's brainwashing was beginning to kick in. Occasionally he'd feel himself lose all sense of emotion and thought. All he saw was pleasing his dear leader. He hated it.

At this rate, Kallah was going to lose.

The time was only two o'clock. Kallah's shift ended at six. Four more hours of resisting. Midna gave him what little energy she had to spare, but it wasn't enough. He was neither unable to mask his labored breathing nor was he even able to stand up straight anymore. Byrne, the soldier he'd just finished taking over, was staring at him. To Kallah's surprise, instead of looking condescending, Byrne looked concerned.

Despite the grim situation, Kallah couldn't help but smile. Further proof that Byrne was still in there.

Now if only he could control his breathing.

Midna couldn't stand it any longer. Kallah felt her energy surround him, providing temporary relief to his misery. Her energy was comforting. It gave him a sense that he wasn't alone. It also felt like her. Feisty and defiant. Breathing became a touch easier.

But no, Midna couldn't spare any more energy. She needed it herself to resist Ganondorf. If she gave anymore to Kallah she'd fall victim to the tyrant's energy.

That was something he wouldn't allow.

With a desperate attempt, Kallah used his own energy to push Midna's away.

_Stop…please…_

_**You'll die at this rate!**_

Midna sounded panicked. Although his vision was clouded from sweat and exhaustion, he could make out her worried expression. She was breathing heavily herself but she was much more concerned with Kallah's state.

Midna was right, of course. Kallah would die at this rate. He would never allow himself to fall victim to the brainwashing, as it would take the last of his energy to resist. That exhaustion would kill him.

Despite her own feeble state, Midna was more worried about Kallah than her own health. My, how the tables have turned. Kallah didn't think he'd ever see the day where Miss Fire Queen cared about someone other than herself.

It was even nicer to know she cared about him. That thought alone kept Ganondorf's spiritual energy from penetrating his very soul. As long as he had Midna's support, he would continue to resist until his death.

Ganondorf was still in the other room, apparently making invasion plans.

The invasion…Kallah needed to inform Princess Zelda and Link about the attack on District Five…

Midna could tell them. Surely she'd pass along the message—

Midna didn't know the details about the attack. Only Kallah knew. He considered using the last of his energy to tell her, but he didn't have enough. If he died right now, the Resistance and all of those in District Five would be wiped out.

He mentally pleaded his weak body to hang in there.

_Link…_

Thoughts of his younger brother came to his mind. He remembered the day he'd fallen out of a tree and broke his leg. Yes, how innocent they were at that time…

* * *

"_But I want that one!" Link cried, pointing with his chubby finger to the top of the apple tree._

_Kallah shook his head. Of course his little brother wanted the one apple at the top of the tree. Never mind all of the apples among the lower branches. They weren't good enough to satisfy his baby brother's delicate pallet. _

"_Really? The one at the top of the tree?" Kallah put his hands on his hips defiantly. "Why is that one so special? Can't you have one on the lower branches?"_

_Link pouted. "That one's speciawl!" The child boldly toddled over to the tree on his stubby little legs. He was so small he couldn't even reach the lowest branch. That didn't mean the stubborn toddler didn't try. He jumped up, grasping desperately the branch that always seemed to be an inch out of his reach. Link frowned, trying a different angle. This time he jumped right up, smacking his head on the bark. The impact caused the boy to fall straight down on his butt._

"_Link!" Kallah cried, running over to the toddler. Link wailed._

_After checking him over for injuries, Kallah sighed in relief. His baby brother only had a minor bump on the head. Nothing a little time wouldn't heal. He rubbed Link's soft blond curls comfortingly, making shushing noises and wiping his tears away._

"_You really want the one at the top, don't you?"_

_In between choked sobs, Link nodded. "'is speciawl…"_

"_Don't you worry," Kallah reassured him. "Big brother is going to get that apple for you. How does that sound?"_

_Blue eyes wide with happiness, Link nodded. "Kawah can do evweything!" Kallah laughed, playing with Link's curls again. His brother was still working on his pronunciation. He especially struggled with "l's" and "r's". No matter. Link was after all, only four years old. Kallah was much older and more mature at six._

"_You bet I can! Now you be a good boy and wait here," Kallah said, struggling to pick up his chubby little brother and setting him down a few feet away from the tree. After deciding Link was a safe distance away from the tree and confident the stubborn little boy wouldn't come and try to follow him, he pulled himself up on the branches and began to climb._

_Climbing was always one of Kallah's strengths. He learned to climb the second he decided cribs were an evil invention. His mother always told stories of Kallah climbing out of his crib so many times she gave up and gave him a big boy bed early. He nimbly pulled himself from limb to limb, gracefully navigating through the tree-like maze. Climbing trees was mentally demanding as well as physically. There was never a straight path to the top. One had to choose his branches cautiously and navigate around smaller branches that may not support his weight._

_When he was at the top, Kallah plucked the apple his brother wanted from the branch. Huh. Link was right. This apple really was different. It seemed to have a certain glow about it. It felt warm in his hand. Kallah smiled. It always amazed him how Link had a certain intuition for one so young. _

"_Kawah! Apple!" Link jumped up and started toddling straight to the tree._

"_Hey, Link! Wait!" Kallah yelled, starting his descent. There was a reason Kallah kept Link away from the apple tree when he was climbing. Oftentimes he'd jostle a branch that would cause an apple to fall. That apple could then in turn smack Link in the head. Kallah didn't want that, especially since Link already had a bruise on his head and too many bumps to the head couldn't be good for a child. Beneath him, Link cried out. The stubborn little boy tripped on a large stone and began to cry._

_Distracted by Link's cry, Kallah lost his concentration. In his panic, he stepped down to the next branch. Due to his lack of focus, Kallah forgot that branch wasn't nearly large enough to support his weight. The second he placed his foot down, the branch snapped, sending Kallah into a plunging fall. Kallah gave a small cry of surprise._

_Hearing her sons' screams, Aria came out of the house. The second she stepped outside of the home she saw Kallah slam into the ground, still cradling the apple in his little hands._

"_Kallah!" Aria cried, running to him._

_Pain seared through Kallah's left leg. Thankfully he landed on his leg so his left leg took the brunt of the fall. Kallah knew nothing regarding health but he did know he had a broken leg. It was absolutely painful. It hurt more than anything he'd felt before. Although he was half-delirious from the pain, he felt immediate comfort as his mother pulled him into a warm embrace._

"_Kallah, sweetie, it's okay," she spoke gently, stroking his hair. "When Daddy gets home we'll fix up your leg and you'll feel all better." She kissed the top of his head, searching for Link. "Link! You naughty boy, what are you doing?"_

_Link, still sobbing from his own fall and seeing his brother come plummeting from the treetops, toddled over to Aria and held out his arms. Aria, her hands full with Kallah, smiled at her little boy. "Momma," Link wailed. "Kawah went to get appwel fo Winky and 'is awl Winky's fawult…"_

"_So that's what you were doing in the apple tree," Aria said. "But why did you go to the top?"_

"_Link said it was special," Kallah explained through grit teeth. Having a broken leg was more painful than he originally anticipated._

"_It's special?" Aria turned her attention to the apple that was still clutched between Kallah's fingers. She gasped in surprise. "This…"_

"'_is speciawl!" Link finished, clinging on to his mother's arm. _

"_This is a Golden Apple. It's a very special fruit that can replenish a user's spiritual energy," she explained. Knowing neither of her two sons would understand, she simplified. "This apple makes anyone feel better."_

"_Winky wanted it fo Momma!" Link explained, still sobbing into Aria's shirt. _

_Kallah set aside the pain for a minute to comprehend. He'd heard of Golden Apples before. He knew nothing about this "spiritual energy" nonsense, but he did know the apple had the power to heal. Recently, their mother had been battling severe fatigue and sickness. Link, not wanting to see his mother in pain, wanted the apple to heal her._

"_This is for me? Thank you, Link," she said, shifting Kallah in her arms so she could pat Link affectionately on the head. "If you don't mind, I'll have some of it right now." Kallah handed it to his mother who took a couple of the bites. "Mmm, it's good. Mommy feels a lot better now."_

_It was strange, but Aria almost seemed to be glowing. The same golden aura that surrounded the apple now shown around her. His mother looked like an angel descended from above. Even better, she looked like a goddess. "Mommy can now use Linky's gift to make Kallah feel better as well."_

_Closing her eyes in concentration, Aria laid her palm gently on Kallah's broken leg. Originally, Kallah bit his lip in discomfort, but the longer she had his hand on his leg, the better it felt. After a few moments, Kallah felt the blanket of pain leave him completely. _

"_There," Aria kissed his cheek. "How do you feel?"_

_Kallah, still surprised by everything that just transpired, stood up carefully and tested his leg. Surprisingly, he felt absolutely no pain. After walking a couple of paces, Kallah jumped a few times. His leg felt healed. More than that, it felt better than new._

"_Great! Thanks Mommy!"_

"_Thank Link," Aria now cuddled the toddler. "It was Link's apple that made us all better."_

_Kallah observed his mother. Instead of the sickly pallor that had plagued her for the past few weeks, her skin glowed healthily. He could see in her smile that his mother was healed. Everything was peaceful again._

_Now if only it could stay that way forever._

* * *

He hadn't realized it at the time, but Link used his spiritual energy to detect the Golden Apple. Although he was only four years old, the child knew that apple alone would heal his mother. Even though Kallah broke his leg in the process, everything ended up peaceful and happy.

His mother was a healer and with the war, she was constantly exhausting her spiritual energy. Since the Golden Apple restored energy much like the Herbs of Rejuvenation with her energy restored she now felt better. Using her restored power, Aria then healed Kallah's broken leg.

The happy peace was short lived. Kallah was unaware of it at the time, but a war had been raging for months before and soon his family would fall victim to the deadly conflict. It was Aria's restored power that created the seal that protected Link for years.

_Link…_

The memory with the apple and his brother's fascinating power continued to play over and over again in his head.

_Help me, Link…_

* * *

Huh. For some reason, Link really wanted an apple.

Poof. There goes his concentration for the umpteenth time.

"Link," Impa sighed in frustration.

"I told you, he's more ADD than a small child," Sheik spoke up.

Link opened his mouth to retort, but decided against it. He did have a rather nasty habit of losing concentration quickly. Especially when it regarded Zelda. He always struggled to have a comeback for true statements. Earlier he vowed to work on his attention span but clearly he was failing. Oh well. Heroes weren't perfect.

Zelda giggled. "What distracted you this time, Link?"

"You," Sheik commented before Impa whacked him with her fan. Link shot him a perturbed glare.

Zelda only giggled again.

So much for his dignity as the Hero.

For once, it wasn't Zelda that caused his distraction. No, this time it was a craving to eat an apple. Ever since Ganondorf brainwashed the population, apples were pretty rare to come by. Especially Golden Apples, which had the power to restore someone's spiritual energy. Link smiled as he recalled an incident when he was a child.

_**Link…**_

Link's eyes widened. He knew that voice. Kallah? But why was he contacting him now? There was something off regarding Kallah's spiritual energy. Kallah seemed drained.

_Kallah? Is that you?_

Link frowned. He didn't have to be a spiritual energy expert to know his message didn't reach its intended recipient. That was strange. Kallah didn't have a barrier that Link recognized. It almost seemed as if Kallah was too weak to respond.

_**Help me, Link…**_

Link closed his eyes in concentration. He could see something…it appeared to be images of some sort. An image of a soldier with a prosthetic arm flashed before him. He could hear the rumblings of a military discussion which he didn't understand a word of. Suddenly he saw a more stable image of a figure bent over and clutching his chest. Although he couldn't see the person's face, Link knew that was his brother. Kallah was struggling. Why, Link didn't know. Then again, why wasn't the issue.

_Kallah!_

Not again. Ever since he joined Ganondorf's guard, Kallah was struggling physically. Link saw this once before. There was a period when he was a child where his mother was always sick. Link hated seeing her like that.

No…it wasn't Ganondorf's guard, it was the awakening of Link's powers. Link was holding his brother down. He was the reason of Kallah's struggles. Because Link was so weak, Kallah took the brunt of the punishment.

_No! This isn't his fault! This is mine! It's because I'm so weak!_

Link angrily clutched the ends of his sleeves. He could hear Impa, Sheik, and Zelda inquiring him worriedly what was wrong. He banished them from his thoughts for a moment. They couldn't save Kallah. Only he could.

_Kallah's always saving me! It's my turn! I'm going to help Kallah!_

It was just like that time with the apple. Kallah broke his leg retrieving the apple for Link. Yeah, Link had good intentions, but Kallah once again was injured instead of Link.

…Wait! The apple!

The Golden Apple had the power to completely restore spiritual energy. It was more powerful with longer lasting effects than the Herbs of Rejuvenation. That is what healed his mother. She suffered the same symptoms Kallah struggled with now.

One problem, Link didn't have a Golden Apple nearby.

No matter. Link knew of a better solution.

_Kallah. Please take my energy._

A burst of golden light engulfed Link, completely surrounding him. Feeling the energy deep in his core, Link sent it to Kallah.

_My energy is yours._

* * *

_**My energy is yours.**_

A warm sensation filled Kallah's inner being. The energy was golden in color just like his mother's spiritual energy. Golden energy symbolized the most pure of heart. Only healers and the Hero's Spirit contained golden spiritual energy. Link heard Kallah's plea for help and in return sent his energy.

The pulsating migraine dulled. His breathing slowed. His feet no longer felt heavy. Kallah felt alive again. Standing up, Kallah let his little brother's energy penetrate his very core. Now completely restored, he could get back to business.

_Thank you, Link._

Midna shot a surprised glance in his direction. With his powers completely restored, Kallah returned the energy Midna was kind enough to sacrifice. Midna smiled. He could tell she was utterly confused on what just happened, but all she cared about was the fact both of them were safe. It was all thanks to the wide-eyed, blond hair little boy that wasn't so little anymore.

What a fine Hero Link was turning out to be.

* * *

"Link!"

Zelda's worried voice jerked Link out of his trance. Was it a trance? Link didn't really know. The last thing he remembered was Kallah on the verge of death. That's right, he sent his energy to Kallah's aid.

Link opened his eyes wearily, surprised to see covers wrapped tightly around him. Zelda was kneeling next to him, holding his hand, green eyes wide with concern. Well, that's strange. Link thought for sure he was still in the training area. Instead, he was back home in his bed. A peek outside the window revealed that it was now sundown. Even more peculiar, considering the fact Link was positive it was afternoon. Did he pass out?

"Oh thank goddesses," Zelda squeezed his hand even tighter. "You were training and all of a sudden you were surrounded by a golden light. After that, you passed out. We tried everything and couldn't wake you so we brought you back here. I feared the worst…"

Tears were streaming down the princess's cheek. Link was surprised to find himself so weak. It took all of his effort to reach over to her and wipe her tears away.

What was with his body, anyways? It was like he was made of lead. It took too much effort to even raise his hand slightly. Link never felt like this. It was as if all of his energy was sapped.

_My energy is yours._

That's right, he sent his energy to Kallah. Funny, he didn't remember sending all of his energy over. Maybe he did and maybe he didn't. The whole spiritual energy thing was new to him.

"Zelda, why am I…?" Link didn't even have enough energy to finish his question.

"It's as if your energy is completely gone," Zelda breathed softly. "I can't even sense your energy within you, Link. You must be in so much pain…"

Pain wasn't the right word. Obnoxiously tired was a bit more accurate. Even so, it was uncomfortable to say the least.

"Well look who decided to sleep the day away. Some of us have work to do, you know."

Link knew that voice. Kallah.

"Kallah!" Zelda cried, turning to him. "Please, you have to help Link! We've tried everything and…and…" she broke off sobbing. Link wanted her to stop worrying. He wanted to tell her that everything was going to be alright. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't form words. He was too weak, and he hated it.

Kallah rested a hand comfortingly on her delicate shoulder. "Is that a cup of tea with the Herbs of Rejuvenation?"

"Yes," Zelda managed between sobs. "But we've tried that already. He's too weak to drink. We all tried giving him our power, but it just didn't work. Please...there must be something…"

"It cannot heal him, but it will definitely come in handy," Kallah rubbed circles on her back, soothing her. "It will all be okay. You have my solemn vow. I'd just like a moment alone with him if you don't mind. When I'm done with him, he'll be good as new. This I promise you."

No. Link didn't want Zelda to leave. He knew that was best for her, so she didn't have to struggle, but he wanted her near him.

"Typical male," Kallah said with a laugh. "Don't worry. You'll see her soon." He looked at Zelda meaningfully. Link knew that look. He was telling her something with his spiritual energy. Satisfied with whatever he told her, Zelda gave Link's hand one more reassuring squeeze before wiping her eyes and standing up.

"I'll leave him in your care then. Feel better, Link…" she said almost pleadingly.

After Zelda left, Kallah took her now vacant stool beside the bed. He also gently held his brother's hand. Although his hand wasn't nearly as delicate as her soft grip, it was just as comforting.

"I know you don't have enough energy to talk right now," Kallah said. "So just listen. Sorry for keeping you like this for a bit longer, but I'm afraid once your power is restored I'll have a difficult time explaining."

Although Link heard what his brother was saying, he found it difficult to comprehend exactly what his brother was saying. What did he mean he'd have trouble explaining what happened?

"I'm proud of you, Link. You've successfully completed yet another extremely challenging spiritual technique. I know you're confused and tired so I'll skip the chit-chat and get straight down to the point. Earlier today, I called for your help. Using your spiritual energy, you noticed I was in rough shape and decided to send your energy to assist me. I was expecting you to send me a bit, but instead you performed a spiritual transfer."

A spiritual transfer? What? Link didn't recall doing anything like that. He only remembered wanting to protect Kallah.

"A spiritual transfer, just like the name implies, is a technique where a user sends their entire spiritual energy to another for a period of time. This afternoon, your energy was mine. In a spiritual transfer, you retain only enough energy to keep you among the living. That's why you barely have enough energy to stay awake right now. Your energy is safe. As you can guess, it's right here with me."

Now that he mentioned it, Kallah's spiritual aura felt a bit off. Link could almost swear that his brother was a golden color. If anything, Kallah's aura was usually associated with the color red.

"In a spiritual transfer, it is up to the recipient when they want to return the spiritual energy to its rightful owner," Kallah said. "It is the ultimate sacrifice. Only the purest of hearts can perform this technique. Of course, when I'm done explaining, I'll return your energy back so you can return to normal."

Wait. If Kallah returned Link's energy, would Kallah revert to his exhausted state? No. Link didn't care if he laid here like a lifeless corpse. If it meant saving his brother, Link would give his energy up forever. He opened his mouth to protest, frustrated when words still wouldn't come out.

"Shush," Kallah scolded, flicking Link on his forehead. Link could only manage a slight glare. "I'll be fine. Stop worrying about me."

"But…" Link choked out. Kallah slapped him lightly on the shoulder this time.

"I said shut up, you idiot. I'll be fine. Trust me." Kallah took both of Link's hands in his own. Taking a deep breath, the golden aura surrounding Kallah flowed from the elder brother to the younger. As Link's spiritual energy returned to him, Link felt better and better.

"You truly are a hero, Link. You saved my life. Thank you."

Darkness took Link once again.

* * *

Link opened his eyes. Instead of being surrounded by a fog of haze, he felt refreshed and energized. It was if the sun forced its way through the clouds. He felt infinitely better.

A harsh panting on the ground next to him reminded that with Link's returned strength, Kallah was weak again.

Leaping out of his bed, Link grabbed the tea fueled by the Herbs of Rejuvenation and attempted to force it down Kallah's throat. Not surprisingly, Kallah resisted.

"No…" He choked out between coughs. "Give it to Midna. She was weakened today too. She needs all of her energy to train you tonight."

"Kallah, you can't even breathe!" Link protested, trying to pry open Kallah's mouth. His teeth remained clamped shut.

"Please, give it to Midna." With Kallah so stubborn, Link knew there was no way his older brother would let him give him the herbs. Link sighed in defeat. He might as well just give it to the shadow magic user.

"You're so stubborn!" Link cried exasperatedly.

Kallah smiled. "It runs in the family."

Link dragged Kallah up on his bed, tucking him into several layers of blankets. He propped his brother up on several pillows to ease his breathing.

"I'll come back in a bit for you," he said. He fished a small bell out of their closet and placed it on the nightstand between the two beds. "If you're struggling, ring the bell. I'll come and check on you."

"Yes mother," Kallah snuggled under the blankets. "Can I have a story then?"

Knowing Kallah was teasing him, Link stuck his tongue out at him childishly. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Thank you," Kallah said in between another pained coughing fit.

Link was about to say something motherly and scold Kallah for his constant overuse of his spiritual energy, but considering the trick Link pulled earlier in the day, he hardly had room to talk. So instead, he opted for a more traditional response that he rarely used these days.

"You're welcome."

Confident that Kallah would at least survive the night, Link brought the tea with the Herbs of Rejuvenation out to the main room. Zelda and Midna were sitting at the kitchen table. Zelda's eyes were still red and puffy from crying and Midna seemed to be simply exhausted. Sheik and Impa were discussing who knows what.

"Midna, this should restore your energy," Link spoke, walking up to them and placing the mug in front of the redhead.

Sheik and Impa both looked shocked to see him. Zelda, deciding to act now and ask questions later, jumped up and pulled him into a tight embrace. Link smiled. Her body was warm and comforting. He could also feel her spiritual energy radiating with kindness.

"I'm so glad," she sobbed into his shoulder. "I thought you were beyond our reach."

Midna gulped down the tea and burped loudly, stretching. "Hoo! That sure hit the spot. Thanks Junior."

"But how?" Impa asked curiously. "I'm of course glad to see you're well, but you were lifeless fifteen minutes ago."

Midna scratched her head thoughtfully. "Well, I came in feeling great and suddenly felt like crap five minutes ago. I'd say that has a…" she trailed off as she realized what she was saying. At first she looked completely befuddled, but then she burst out laughing. "Look at you! A regular Hero!"

Impa, Sheik, and even Zelda looked royally confused.

Midna grinned, playing with the spoon in her mug. "Looks like pretty boy Junior here figured out how to do a spiritual transfer."

"That's impossible," Impa huffed. "The boy just discovered he had power mere days ago. How can he pull off such an advanced technique?"

"Impa and I can't, and neither can Zelda at this point," Sheik added. He gave a low whistle. "That does explain everything, though. That's freakin' impressive, kid."

"A spiritual transfer?" Zelda gasped. "Then…Kallah!"

"I wouldn't worry about him, milady," Midna said. "Hotshot over there is too damn stubborn to die from a little exhaustion."

"He'll be fine, Zelda," Link assured him, although quite honestly he wasn't positive himself. Seeing both of their concerned faces, Midna smiled.

"Kallah's not going to die, Link. He's just tired. I'm quite awed with the whole shebang, though. You must have sensed Kallah's state and sent all of your energy to him. That's no small feat."

"So, what happened?" Sheik asked. "How did the two of you get to be in such rough shape to begin with?"

Midna frowned, recalling the day's activities. "Ganondorf decided to pull something stupid and the two of us had to do a little reconnaissance," she said. "I'll spare you most of the details, but Kallah performed a full-body takeover on an elite guard so he could eavesdrop on the battle planning."

"A full-body takeover? On an elite guard?" Impa's voice was filled with both disbelief and awe at the same time.

"Are you sure you're both human?" Sheik grumbled under his breath. "That's no small feat either."

"What's a full-body takeover?" Link never heard of that term.

"In short," Zelda explained, "a full-body takeover is where one spiritual user uses his or her energy to completely control the body and spirit of another."

"So it's essentially brainwashing," Link simplified.

Zelda laughed lightly. "Kind of," she agreed. "Although a full-body takeover is much more complex. For a time, the two users' spirits are one."

"Sounds complicated." Link decided not to press any further, although he made a mental note of the technique so he could try it out later.

"So, what did he find out?" Sheik asked. "What is our dear leader up to?"

"Using Link's power, Kallah showed me exactly what occurred during that meeting," Midna explained with a nod to Link. "He must've known once he returned Link's power he'd be unable to explain himself."

Poor Kallah. Link looked down, pushing the mental image of his brother suffering out of his head. Kallah promised him he was going to be all right and Kallah never broke his promises.

"And?" Impa asked expectantly.

"Ganondorf is launching an attack on District Five in two day's time."

There was a collective gasp from everyone in the room.

"District Five is a schooling district!" Link cried.

"I know," Midna said with a downcast look. "Apparently some teacher is resisting the brainwashing and teaching kids the true history of Hyrule. In a display of power, Ganondorf is going to lead an attack on the district."

"You said in two days, right Midna? That means we have two days to act," Sheik said.

"There's more," Midna's voice was low. "Kallah suspects that the whole teacher thing is a hoax. He believes it's a ploy to draw out the Resistance."

"Even so, it's not like we can sit here and do nothing," Link protested. "These are innocent women and children we're talking about. Even if it's just to draw us out of hiding, we can't turn our backs on civilians!"

Link felt his insides brimming with anger. This was low, even for Ganondorf. Other than the heartless, brutal massacre of the shadow tribe, Ganondorf only publicly executed so-called traitors and military members that stepped out of line. But now he was going to massacre children only for his selfish desires! It was too much. Link didn't care what Zelda decided, he was going to save District Five even if it meant the end of his life.

_**Link, your anger…**_

A spiritual energy message cut into his musings. He looked towards Zelda who was glancing at him with a mixture of sadness and worry. Kallah once told him that spiritual energy was based on emotions and the heart's intent. Surely bad things would happen if Link used his energy with an unstable mind. Sighing, Link attempted to clear his mind and release his anger.

"Link's right," Zelda spoke up. "I will not abandon my people, regardless of what Ganondorf has in store for us."

"He's after you milady," Impa spoke quietly.

"I'm aware of that, Impa. Unfortunately, it is a risk I will have to take."

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but remember, Kallah and I will be unable to actively assist you," Midna reminded them. "However, I don't anticipate we'll have to leave the castle."

"So what do we do?" Sheik asked. "How are we supposed to reach a brainwashed civilian population?"

"There's only one thing we can do," Link chimed in. "We have to destroy the generator."

Zelda nodded. "Link will destroy the generator. With that, the hold on the people should lift or at the very least the brainwashing will become less effective. If I can reach them, perhaps I can encourage them to take refuge and flee the area."

"We have two days," Impa added. "If we destroy the generator on the first day, that gives us a day to evacuate the children from the area."

"The first day means tomorrow," Sheik said grimly. "I don't mean to be a downer, but Link hasn't manifested his energy in a physical form yet and he's got to be exhausted from today's events."

Actually, Link felt fine. If he didn't know better, he'd have no idea he performed the spiritual transfer earlier that day.

Midna echoed his thoughts. "Junior over there is fine. His energy is fully restored. You know what that means, don't you?" She stood up, looking at him right in the eye. "I made a promise to my Princess and Kallah that I'd whip your butt into gear. If you want to save the people of District Five, then you need to learn how to manifest your energy. Are you prepared?"

Link nodded. The only way he could save District Five and all of the countless innocent civilians that resided there was to learn the technique. There was very little time.

Hey, he performed a spiritual transfer earlier in the day, so how hard could manifesting his energy be?

* * *

He was an idiot to think that this would be easy.

If he thought Impa was bad, Midna was a slave driver. She was absolutely relentless in her methods. Whenever Link screwed up, Midna would slam him with waves of her own energy. She would scream countless taunts and insults at him. It was brutal.

According to Midna, manifesting one's energy into a physical form was a combination of will, control, and imagination. Apparently, you had to visualize the action you wished to perform with your energy. Next, you had to focus your energy in your hands. Then, you had to release said energy in the action you visualized. All while maintaining focus. Oh, and usually you have an enemy attacking you at the same time.

The whole thing made Link dizzy.

Link was knocked to the ground roughly by a wave of blue energy.

"Ooof!" Link cried aloud, wincing from the shock.

"What did I tell you about losing focus?" Midna cried, sending two more waves of energy at him for good measure.

"I'm trying," Link huffed, doubled over and panting.

"Not hard enough," Midna scoffed. "Come on! You performed a spiritual transfer earlier today! This is child's play compared to that!"

Link closed his eyes, visualizing Midna getting knocked into the ground with his spiritual energy. After engraining the image in his mind, he focused his power in his right hand. Feeling his energy, he sent it towards Midna's direction. He smiled. There.

…or so he thought.

Once again he went flying through the air and landed this time painfully on his butt.

"What are you smiling for?" Midna yelled. "You idiot, you focused it in your hand but didn't send it out properly!"

"I did what you told me to," Link panted. "I could've sworn I sent it!"

"Well, you didn't," Midna crossed her arms over her chest. "Come on, Link. What's making you…" she stopped suddenly. "So that's it," she muttered under her breath.

What was it? What did she mean? Why didn't Link's energy send towards Midna? He knew he did everything she told him to.

"Sorry, Link, but this is the only way." Midna sent another wave of energy at him. This time, the force was enough to temporarily blind him. Link flailed around, frantically trying to regain his vision. When he opened his eyes, he could only gasp at what he saw.

"Link?" Kallah was panting, sprawled across the floor.

Kallah? When did he get here? Link ran over to him, scanning his brother for injuries. "What's wrong?" Kallah was supposed to be safe back at their place. Impa and Sheik were watching over him. Zelda would never let anything happen to Kallah either. So why was he here, clearly in so much pain?

"It hurts, Link," Kallah whispered. He reached weakly for his brother. Link grabbed his hand, pulling his brother comfortingly to him.

"Why? Who did this to you?" Link asked, fighting off tears. Kallah was in such bad shape. It was torture to watch him like this.

"Ganondorf…I couldn't resist him and save you at the same time."

"Save me?" Link cried. "I don't need saving!"

"He sensed your energy," Kallah continued. "The only way to protect him was to block your spiritual energy from him. It was too much of a strain on me."

"No! I can protect myself, Kallah, so please stop this," Link pleaded, looking his brother up and down. Kallah's breathing was so haggard. It was too painful. Link desperately began to rub his brother's bruises, hoping his spiritual energy would heal all of Kallah's wounds. Maybe if he did another spiritual transfer, Kallah's pain would end…

"No," Kallah said weakly, placing his hand on Link's shoulder. "That won't work, Link. The only way to destroy me is to defeat Ganondorf."

"I will!" Link promised. "I'll save you!"

"We're not alone," Kallah continued. "His minions followed me here. Look to the shadows."

Now that Kallah brought his attention to it, Link noticed something lurking in the shadows of the training area. "I have to…" Kallah tried to get up, falling back down and coughing miserably.

"No!" Link rubbed circles on his brother's back, tears streaming down his face. "You can't, Kallah!"

"But I have to protect you…" Kallah choked out. He began coughing violently again. Link winced at the retching noises, clinging on to his brother and just praying for his pain to end. Struggling to get up, Kallah pulled himself up off of the floor. A shadow in the form of a ghostly soldier approached, heading straight for the brothers. Link shot a worried glance towards Kallah.

What he saw was an image he'd never forget.

Earlier, Link believed his brother to be vomiting. Kallah threw up, alright, but it wasn't the contents of his stomach.

His brother coughed up blood.

Kallah's face was sickly pale. The bottom of his face was soaked in a crimson color: the color of blood. Kallah himself sat in a pool of his own blood. Eyes blue among the bright red, dark circles under his eyes, he still attempted to get up.

There was nothing Link could do. Kallah was always injured protecting Link. If it weren't for Link, Kallah would lead a much better life. It was sickening.

Link couldn't bear it any longer.

Link was the one who was supposed to be protecting Kallah. He was the possessor of the Hero's Spirit, the one destined to save Hyrule. He could save Hyrule but not his one and only brother? He couldn't save the ones he loved? What good was his power if he couldn't use it properly?

Yet here he was, relying on Kallah to protect him because he was too weak.

No. Maybe that is how it was in the past, but not anymore.

He saved Kallah earlier with a spiritual transfer. Now he was going to save him again.

_It's my turn to protect you._

Imbued with the desire to protect his brother, Link closed his eyes, focusing on sending the skeletal soldier flying with a wave of his spiritual energy. He was going to knock the soldier down so hard he wouldn't even dream of getting back up.

Eyes lit ablaze with a golden fire, Link shot a massive wave of golden energy towards the skeletal solider.

"Don't touch my brother!" Link screamed, attacking the hordes of skeletal soldiers the swarmed him. Suddenly using his spiritual energy wasn't so difficult. It came naturally. After waves of attacks, the soldiers ceased attacking.

Link, tears streaming down his face and his hands still shining with the power of his spiritual energy, stood victorious in front of piles of skeletons, now dismembered from his attack.

_I won't let you get hurt anymore. Not for me._

A low whistle brought him back into reality. It came from behind him. Link whirled around, poised to attack, when he realized the whistle came from Midna.

Midna? Oh right. Wasn't she supposed to be training him?

Wait a minute…

"Midna?" Link croaked hoarsely, weak from the emotional ordeal.

"You did it, Junior. Good job."

What? Link glanced frantically for Kallah. His brother was nowhere to be found. Looking back, Link realized all of Ganondorf's minions were gone too. Where did they all go?

"Kallah?"

"He's fine, Link. He's safe back at your home. As a matter of fact, he never left there."

"But I saw him," Link insisted, still crying. "He was coughing up blood. He was in so much pain…"

"That was all in your head," Midna explained lightly. "Kallah is fine. I realized what was holding you back and figured this was the only way to unlock your true power."

"What?" Link was still so confused. The whole thing felt real to him. Kallah's blood felt fresh and wet on his hands.

"I pulled an illusionary trick on you. I had to make it realistic enough for you to believe it was real. Again, I'm sorry for the emotional strain you went through, but it was the only way."

"It was an illusion?"

"Spiritual energy, as you're aware, is dependent on emotions. I realized earlier you didn't release your energy at me because you were afraid to hurt me. The most powerful emotion is the desire to protect. If you saw a loved one in danger, you would certainly use your power to help them."

"Kallah's okay?" Link could only think of Kallah. He heard Midna talking, and while he understood her, he didn't fully comprehend what she was talking about.

"He's fine, you little worrywart. I told you that you'd be bawling by the time I was done with you and look at you, sobbing like a child on the floor."

"Kallah's okay," Link repeated, letting his energy dissipate and lying down on the floor.

Midna shook her head with a small laugh. "He just mastered a difficult technique and all he can think of is his brother. He really is the Hero's Spirit." Although her voice was soft, Link still picked up on what she said.

"I know you're proud, Kallah. The Hero has arrived."

* * *

**A/N**

**Whoa that was a lengthy chapter. I'm honestly not quite sure how I feel about it. **

**Sorry for break between updates, guys! It's really going to be more like this from now on, unless I have time to go on another writing binge. I tried to make it up to you all by writing a lengthy chapter filled with goodies. It also is heavily focused on Link, where the previous chapter was centered on Kallah. **

**There's a bit of everything in this chapter! I even added a lil' fluffy flashback. I figured this story is so dark the only light parts are the relationships between my characters, and I'm sorry, Link and Kallah are too darn cute. I had to. I hope you can understand Link's baby talk, haha. xD **

**I am amazed and flattered by how many hits this story has gotten! Wow! Thanks for the support, guys! Please continue to review and enjoy this story! **

**I said last chapter that I believed this was the only chapter between the first big battle between the Resistance and Ganondorf, but I'm pretty certain we'll have one more before the showdown.**

**Again, excuse any slight grammar/typo mistakes. I'm so happy you're all enjoying the story and I look forward to seeing you in the next chapter!**


	6. Respite

**I usually respond to my reviews via PM, but I do want to reply to those who either don't have an account or don't log in.**

**Guest: Thank you for all of your reviews on all of my stories! They were lovely and I'm glad you enjoyed all of my stories. :) Yes, you are correct in the districts being inspired by the Hunger Games. ;)**

**Maura: Thank you for your continuous reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. The relationship between Link and Zelda has been admittedly underdeveloped, and I have addressed it a bit better in this chapter. Thank you again for all of your constructive criticism and reviews! **

**JCM: Thank you for your multiple reviews! That's very high praise and I appreciate it. I'm glad you're enjoying the story!**

**Tazzy: Thank you for the wonderful review! I'm flattered! Yes, Kallah and Link are both on the cover and as you've noticed, they're both Links. You're pretty close—but it's not as simple as that. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did… :D**

_**Ascension **_**is rated "T" for eventual action description, mild language, and adult themes.**

* * *

_Respite_

It was the proverbial calm before the storm. She tried to sleep, but her mind was filled with constant thoughts and images. Zelda knew the biggest moment of her life was about to occur. She was going to announce herself to both her people and Ganondorf himself.

She wasn't alone in her venture. Impa and Sheik, who loyally stayed by her side would be there for her. Kallah and Midna would be there in spirit.

Of course, she also had Link on her side. Link was growing at such an exponential rate. Naturally a Princess would be proud of her star protector.

It really didn't have anything to do with being a Princess. Zelda couldn't deny her beating heart. Link was attractive; there was really no denying that. His soft golden hair always shone brightly in the sun. His eyes were the purest blue she'd ever seen. It wasn't Link's physical attractiveness that drew the Princess in. It was his sunny and caring personality.

Midna told Zelda that Link was successful and manifested his energy. When she led him in the door, Link went running into Kallah's room. Zelda could hear him sobbing with joy and Kallah yelling at him to not worry so much. Midna then explained in order to draw out Link's full potential she'd pulled an illusionary trick on him.

Link's power always flourished when others were in danger. That was the sign of a true hero.

Zelda shuddered, not only because of the chilly breeze, but at the thought of Link lying lifeless on the ground. She was so horrified when Link didn't even seem to breathe properly.

She thought she'd lost him.

No. Zelda shook her head. Link was alive and well. They had a job to do. Together they would destroy the generator and free Hyrule.

Then she could explore her feelings for him. Only then.

Zelda giggled at the thought. Surely Link would be abashed, blushing furiously and turning a rather adorable shade of pink. He'd then stammer something absolutely ridiculous and then proceed to get angry with himself for acting like an idiot.

She couldn't help but wonder if her stuttering little hero was sleeping peacefully now. Zelda reached out with her energy to meet his, surprised when she discovered Link was indeed awake. More than that, his mind was restless. It was as if something was troubling him, and not just the obvious. Zelda frowned. What could it be now?

"So you can't sleep either, eh milady?" A gentle voice broke the Princess out of her musings.

Zelda jumped slightly from the shock, slightly embarrassed that the person she was spying on was now right behind her. Normally, they slept away from the brothers, but decided due to the circumstances they'd all stay together.

"My mind was restless," Zelda admitted sheepishly. Link was in his pajamas, which despite being slightly childish looked rather good on him. He looked tired, not just physically, but mentally. The young hero walked over to Zelda and rested against the balcony next to her.

"So was mine," he agreed. "What were you thinking about?"

_You._

Not that she'd ever tell him that. Zelda bit her nails nervously, blushing an even deeper shade of pink. She was happy that it was dark outside and it was hard to see exactly what color she was sporting.

Link, seeing her nervous response, quickly waved his hands and blushed himself. "That was kind of personal, wasn't it? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." He sighed, collapsing on the ground and resting his head on his legs.

Should she tell him? In a way, Zelda was tempted to. She could also word it diplomatically. Yes, that was it. He was the Hero's Spirit and their only hope. Of course a Princess would be concerned with her trump card's health. His success was Hyrule's success, and his failure would lead to Hyrule's doom. Yes, that was it. She'd word it like that.

"Actually," she started, biting her nail once more. Biting her nails was a horrible nervous habit that she was always trying to break. What was she so nervous about? "I was worried about you."

The tired boy looked up at her with a puzzled expression on his face. She could tell he was trying to process what she said. After what seemed to be a minor internal argument with himself, he gave a small smile.

"There's no need to worry about me, Zelda. I'm the Hero's Spirit. There's no way I'll fail."

_That's not what I'm worried about!_

Zelda put a hand over her mouth when she realized she'd said that aloud. Link smiled gently, pulling himself up off the ground and laying a hand gently on her shoulder. His touch felt nice and soothing. Zelda always felt a fire within her whenever she and Link made contact.

"I'm fine," he reassured her. He looked directly into her eyes with his own wide blue eyes that looked even more defined in the darkness. Sure, he said he was fine, but Zelda could feel him worry. She wasn't exactly sure about what he was worrying about, but she was pretty certain it had to do with someone whose name started with the letter K.

Oh well. She was already in deeper than she'd anticipated, so she might as well continue.

"But you're not," she placed her own hand on his. "I can feel worry flowing within you."

Link sighed in defeat. "I haven't been sleeping well recently. Actually, ever since my power awoke, I've been sleeping pretty terribly. I used to have these pleasant dreams about fun times but now my sleep is filled with nightmares."

Zelda figured that would be the case. All spiritual energy users had restless nights. She certainly had her fair share in the past. Link's nightmares were a bit different than the average spiritual energy user, not surprisingly. Since his power was the Hero's Spirit, it was possible that his nightmares were actually visions. She hesitated to ask him such a personal question, but…

"I can tell you about them if you want," he said.

The Princess of Destiny smiled. Link truly was improving. Although he probably wasn't aware of it, he used his spiritual energy to read her emotions. He could sense that she wanted to know, and he was willing to tell her.

"If you don't mind," Zelda replied.

Link removed his hand from Zelda's shoulder and leaned against the balcony railing. He looked up at the purplish hue that covered the night sky.

"Kallah told me a couple of days ago that I wouldn't sleep as well anymore," he stated, closing his eyes for a brief moment and letting the wind hit his face. "I knew he meant nightmares, but I never really expected them to be bad. I mean, I always imagined they'd be those dreams where you run away from the bad guy. I always expected to see Ganondorf. But that's not who I see as the enemy in my dreams." He gave a small shudder.

Zelda looked down, turning to him and mimicking his position. She glanced up at the sky, but focused on his hand in her peripheral vision. She bit her lip. She wanted nothing more than to place her hand on his and reassure him that it was going to be okay. Taking a deep breath, she hesitantly placed her hand on top of his, squeezing it gently. It wasn't the first time they'd held hands. But this one had more meaning. Zelda smiled lightly when Link returned her squeeze with one of his own.

"Is there more?" Zelda gently pressed. Link chewed his lip thoughtfully. Again she noticed that the young hero was having an internal debate with himself. He looked down at their intertwined hands.

"Yes, but…" Link trailed off, apparently figuring out how to word what he was about to say. "I don't want to tell you right now. I don't mean it like that! You know I'd tell you everything, but…I'm not accepting it now and I don't want to tell you until I've made peace with it myself."

He said the whole thing rather rambly and very fast. Zelda smiled. She could tell that Link wanted to tell her, but it was something so horrible that he hadn't accepted yet. That was okay with her. She knew he'd tell her when he was ready. Until then, all she had to do was support him.

"You know I'll be here for you if you need me," She spoke reassuringly. "As your Princess, and…"

"…more than that?" Link finished for her.

They both shared a meaningful glance. Link finished her thought aloud. Yes, Zelda meant more than that. She wasn't sure how much more at the moment, but she wanted Link to see her as more than just his Princess. She wanted him to see her as a friend. Well, actually, she wanted him to see her as more than just a friend, but this wasn't probably the time and place for it.

Link pulled back his hand, waving his hands in front of his face, a habit he always did when he said something impulsive. "Wait! That's not what I meant. I mean, what I meant was…" he fumbled over his speech, mentally kicking himself for being such an idiot.

Zelda laughed at Link's outburst. Link stopped yelling long enough to look at her. She was practically doubled over with laughter. She hadn't felt this happy in a long while. Yes, Impa and Sheik meant the world to her, but Link was different. With him, she felt like she could bring down the Princess image that she always had up. With him, she could be herself.

It was exhilarating to say the least.

"Yes, more than that," Zelda finished laughing, taking his hand again. "As friends," she added with a wink.

Of course, they both knew Zelda wasn't referring to a platonic relationship, but given the dire circumstances they were in, friendship would have to suffice for now.

"Uh, Zelda…not that I'm complaining, but friends don't really hold hands…I mean, I like holding your hand, but friends…" Link rambled sheepishly.

Zelda laughed again. She was always surprised how much she laughed and smiled around Link. Then again, given his loving personality, it really wasn't surprising at all. She released her grip, placing her hand on the railing. Again she looked straight into his eyes, prodding at his spiritual energy. The haze of worry surrounding him seemed to vanish. That was a good sign. She had the same affect on him as he had on her.

"I'll always be here for you, Link," she repeated her earlier statement. "Always."

"Thanks, Zelda," he said, looking like he meant it this time. "You know I'll always be there for you too."

"I expect it, as your Princess," Zelda replied in her serious, diplomatic tone of voice she always used when she was giving an order or saying something princess-like. She stood taller and raised her chin, emphasizing her role as nobility.

Link smiled. "Yes, but not just because you're the Princess, but because you're my friend too."

_Friend._

No matter how many times she heard him say that word, it was refreshing. Yes, they both wanted something more, but right now, Zelda had Link's friendship.

That was all she needed at the moment to go on.

* * *

How the hell was she supposed to sleep with that damn Sheikah snoring on the floor?

Midna accepted Zelda's request that they all stayed together that night at the brothers' house. She knew she wouldn't be getting any beauty rest. The house was small and clearly not meant for six people. Link offered Zelda his bed, which she initially refused but of course in the end accepted. Because he gave up his bed, the Sheikah duo offered him the couch. Again, like Zelda, he refused, but the two stubborn guardians promptly went to sleep on the floor and that was that. Kallah was stupid enough to offer his bed to Midna, but she was no fool. Kallah needed a good night's sleep. Instead, Midna opted for the recliner. Sure, it was at a weird angle and hurt her back, but whatever. It was better than the floor.

Naturally, when she was rudely awoken by Sheik snoring, the couch was empty. The kid was nowhere in sight. Didn't he know it was impolite not to use the couch when everyone else gave up their own sleep for him? Rude. Midna knew Junior was restless. Kallah told her that he kept hearing his little brother mumble deliriously in his sleep. He probably went to go get some fresh air.

Too bad fresh air didn't have a nice bed. Midna could take the couch. She was half tempted to steal it anyways. Then she could finally catch up on some well-deserved z's. After all, the little brat needed to thank her. It was her flawless training that whipped his pretty butt into gear.

Now, what to eat?

Midna rummaged through the fridge, settling on a leftover piece of chicken and gnawing it hungrily. Ever since she used so much energy earlier in the day, she was really hungry. She didn't want to eat the pretty boys out of house and home, but she'd take this piece of chicken as a tip for her excellent work.

Midna sat at the table, enjoying her midnight snack and allowing herself to think. She knew she wasn't going to get any sleep and she wasn't part of the attack tomorrow, so why did she accept?

For one thing, Zelda asked her to, and Midna couldn't really refuse a request from the Princess of Destiny herself.

_Who are you fooling? You're worried about Kallah._

"Shut up," Midna growled aloud to that little nagging voice in her head. Pah. As if she'd ever be worried about that hotshot pretty boy. He could take care of himself. He was a big boy. He didn't need her concern.

Kallah. Now that was an idiot she couldn't figure out. She knew a few things about him. One, he was a conceited narcissist who thought he was the best spiritual user on the planet. Two, he was insanely powerful. Three, he was a sweet-talker and good with the ladies. Four, he cared immensely about his little brother.

Ever since he defeated her in a duel and figured out she was a member of the Shadow Tribe, Midna was itching to challenge him again. She couldn't help but be impressed despite herself. The boy's power was unreal. Now, she didn't mean to brag, but Midna was damn good with her spiritual energy. It took a real winner to defeat her. Not to mention the fact that he was quite handsome.

_Goddesses damn it, Midna. Here you go, giggling like a schoolgirl over this boy. _

Hey, all she admitted was that he was handsome. Wasn't that natural? Junior looked a lot like him too, but she didn't think he was as cute. Maybe it was because the boy was a little too innocent and young for Midna's taste. There was a major difference between the two brothers, and it wasn't just Kallah's pierced ears. It was their eyes. Yes, both of them had huge blue eyes, but Kallah's were more narrowed and focused and Link's were more open and wide-eyed. Despite being only two years older, Kallah seemed more mature and wise beyond his years. Midna liked a strong man. It was a character flaw, what could she say?

Then there was his idiotic move earlier in the day. Stupid moron. Yeah, sure, it was her idea, but she never intended Kallah would actually do it. One simply does not waltz their happy ass into Ganondorf's meeting room while performing a full-body takeover.

Images of a dying Kallah flashed before her. Midna grimaced. It was painful. The idiot even refused her spiritual energy. He was willing to die before he let Ganondorf control him. Midna closed her eyes, begging herself to stop showing images of him suffering.

He was two seconds away from dying. If Link didn't send his energy when he did, Kallah would no longer be among the living.

That was a thought Midna couldn't bear.

Midna was used to being alone. Hell, she'd been alone her entire life. She taught herself everything she knew. She had no one. She was careful to get too close to anyone, fearing that they would discover her secret. When she was a little girl, she'd sob endlessly for hours because she had no mommy, no daddy, and no friends to play with. She was weak back then.

Being so weak inspired her to become stronger. She diligently trained to become an elite student of the Academy. In her spare time, when she wasn't honing her skills, she developed intricate plans to free both Hyrule and extract revenge on Ganondorf for murdering her clan.

Yes, she'd take her revenge on Ganondorf. He was the reason she was so alone, and he'd be the one to suffer her wrath.

_That's when he came into my life._

Honestly, she first noticed him back when they were students at the Academy. Midna always knew he was powerful and suspected that he was resisting all along. She never approached him because not only was a braggart she was afraid that she'd lose him. If she grew attached to him and something happened to him…

_I'd be alone again._

Midna shook her head again, finishing up her meal and standing. She pressed her hand to her forehead, trying to erase those thoughts from her mind. How was she supposed to sleep when all of these horrible images were in her head? No wonder Junior was up and about. He must be suffering the same thing.

Maybe she should go check on Kallah.

No, it wasn't like that. She kept reliving Kallah's near death experience. Maybe if she reassured herself that he was okay, she could put these childish worries to bed and finally get some rest. Yes, that's what she'd do.

She maneuvered around the sleeping Sheikah carefully and quietly opened the door to the bedroom. No way in hell did she want Kallah know she was doing this. He'd never let her live it down.

Huh, Princess Zelda wasn't in the bed, either. Maybe she and Junior were having some alone time. How sweet. They were just like little kids.

Thankfully, Kallah was fast asleep. Junior had propped him up against several pillows to ease his breathing and to ensure he didn't choke on vomit. His breathing was still fitful, but a quick glance revealed that he was doing much better. Midna lightly placed her hand on his forehead. His temperature was still low, but improving. A full night of rest should mostly heal him. Kallah's energy worked faster than most. Gently removing her hand, careful so he wouldn't wake, Midna took one last glance at Kallah, reassuring herself that he was fine. Satisfied, she went to open the door.

"It isn't polite to stare at people when they sleep."

Damn it all.

That was Kallah's voice. Midna was positive he was sleeping…

The little bastard. He was awake the entire time. He was only pretending to be asleep.

"You little…" Midna started, shooting him a nasty glare. Blankets still engulfing him like a cocoon, Kallah pulled himself into a sitting position. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Continue. What am I?"

"You're a conceited hotshot that thinks he's king of the world," Midna spat.

Kallah laughed, coughing lightly from the effort. "Yes, I've heard that one before. Seriously, it's kind of weird for you to be snooping around like this. Let me rephrase that. It's not weird that you're snooping around, but for a second it seemed like you were worried about me. You'll have to be careful. People might think you actually care."

Midna folded her arms across her chest. It was true, this was out of character for her. Because his energy was weak, Kallah wasn't probing her spiritual energy. Good thing too. She put up a wall around her innermost thoughts just in case. He'd tease her merciless if he ever found out that she was legitimately worried about him.

"I was worried about the kid," Midna made up some random BS. "If he gets depressed because his moronic brother is sick, we're all in trouble. So I thought I'd check on said moronic brother to make sure he was still alive."

"Oh yes," Kallah said. "Except my poor health has been a motivating factor for Link's growing powers. Wouldn't it be better if I was sick, since then Link would be more eager to use his energy? Surely he'd be more powerful."

Curse that stupid Kallah. He was always right. It was irritating to say the least.

"Come on, Midna. I'm not stupid. What's up?" His tone was gentler and less playful.

Midna bit her lip. At this rate, she'd say something equally stupid and sappy about how worried she was about him and that he could never leave her because then she'd be alone. No. There was no way Midna would admit that. No way in hell…

"I was worried about you, okay?"

Goddesses damn it. She really should learn to think about what she says before words come spewing out of her mouth. No matter. She was pretty certain Kallah knew the truth even without his precious spiritual energy telling him.

Kallah smiled. "Well look at that, Fire Queen. You really do care."

"Of course I care!" Midna cried in an uncharacteristic outburst. "These past few days have been enjoyable! Instead of only focusing on the damn pig and his controlling ways, I had something to look forward to! You introduced me to the Princess of Destiny, your little Junior, and the Sheikah! For the first time in my life, I wasn't alone!"

"Midna…" Kallah spoke somberly. "I didn't…"

Midna didn't let him finish. "And then you! Yes, you! Always risking your neck for everyone you care about! What about those of us who care for you? Do you really think we like watching you suffer? Have you seen your little brother cry over your pain? Do you know how hurt he was when he thought you were dying? You're such an idiot if you think your suffering will change anything! Let someone else worry about you for once!"

It all came out really fast. Midna felt tears of her own springing at her eyes. It was true. Earlier she'd pulled that awful illusionary trick on Link. Link's pain…it felt like Midna's at the time. She could feel how hurt the boy was, seeing his brother and only family member suffering. Even though she was the one behind the illusion, it pained her too.

Kallah was an idiot of the worst kind. One of those selfless hero-types that thought the world would be better if they always recklessly sacrificed themselves. Their whole deal was that when they sacrificed themselves, they'd spare their loved ones from pain. Yeah, sure, there would be no physical pain. But the worst kind of torture was seeing someone you love suffer.

"I'm sorry," Kallah spoke up, pulling her from her thoughts. "I didn't realize how much this hurt you and Link."

"It's not polite to leave a lady alone," Midna continued, not bothering to wipe away the tears that streamed down her face.

"I'm sorry," Kallah repeated. "I wish I could say something more." She saw him thinking about it. Instead of the sharp, intense look they usually had, his eyes looked sad and downcast. Midna was about to start screaming more things at him when he started coughing.

Midna frowned. She thought they were over this. Kallah was certainly better, his spiritual energy, while still weak, was stable, so why was he coughing? Kicking herself mentally, Midna realized she just brought for emotional stress. That was never good. In order to make it up to him for her stupidity, she did something she never imagined in her wildest dreams she'd do.

Midna sat down on his bed next to him and pulled him into a warm embrace. She shushed him, rubbing circles on his back and burying her head into his shoulder. What a sight they must look. He was coughing uncontrollably and she was sobbing like a small child. After some time, Kallah's breathing quieted and he weakly returned her embrace. Now it was his turn to shush and comfort her. Midna felt immediate relief. Although his body temperature was still technically cool, he felt warm. After she was done, Midna pulled away, angrily wiping away her tears.

Midna hated showing weakness. Ever since she was a little girl and cried all the time, she vowed she'd get stronger. Since then, she didn't show weakness to anyone. The fact she showed her vulnerable side to Kallah was annoying and made her sick.

"You're not weak," Kallah said as if he read her thoughts. Midna frowned. His spiritual energy was still pretty useless. Of course, it was likely that he didn't need his spiritual energy at all. He knew. "Showing emotion isn't a sign of weakness. As a matter of fact, it's strength. It's what makes us human. If we didn't show emotion, we'd be another one of Ganondorf's puppets. Your tears prove you care. Caring for other is an ultimate sign of strength."

"But I don't cry," Midna childishly protested. "I told myself I'd become stronger."

"You are strong," Kallah assured her. "You've endured the elimination of your entire tribe. You've been alone all your life. I can't imagine what that's been like. Your inner strength kept you alive all this time. I'm not as strong as you, Midna. I would have succumbed the moment I was truly alone. I always had Link."

"Your love for your brother is what makes you stronger than I," Midna retorted. "The crazy things you do to protect him is beyond me. That is where you draw your true strength."

"Well," Kallah replied, gently placing his hand over Midna's heart. "Just think how powerful you'd be if you combined your inner strength and your care for others. You'd be unstoppable."

He had a point. Midna's power usually stemmed from her own inner strength where Kallah usually relied on his love for his brother. If the two powers were combined, that would be a hell of a wall to break down. Maybe a combination truly was the best source of power.

"You're wrong on one thing," Midna took Kallah's hand in her own. "Your inner strength is also very strong. Your love for Link just amplifies it."

"You keep saying 'your love for Link,'" Kallah smiled. "Yes, I love Link, but he is not the only one."

Midna raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh. Enlighten me."

_Because clearly it couldn't be me. Who would love me, a crazy, self-absorbed, lonely Shadow Tribe user?_

"Come now," Kallah said with a laugh. "Where would the fun be if I told you?"

Midna angrily slapped his hand away and returned to glaring at him. "Tease. I'll read your spiritual energy then."

"You can try," Kallah said with another mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"I hate you."

"You hate me because I'm right."

"No, I hate you because you're a self-absorbed braggart who thinks he's the king of the world!"

"Look who's talking," Kallah flicked Midna on the head just like he always did to Link. Midna rubbed her forehead angrily, sticking her tongue out at him.

Fine, if he was going to be that way, two can play at this game.

"Then scoot," Midna said, motioning for Kallah to move over in his bed.

Kallah looked confused. "Pardon?"

"I said move your ass. Its freezing and you have a thousand blankets. Surely you can spare me one."

"And why should I do that? I happen to be rather comfortable."

Midna frowned. Of course he was going to be stubborn. Didn't the fool know he owed her?

"You owe me," she said aloud.

"I don't recall for what," he retorted.

Knowing anything regarding himself wouldn't motivate him, Midna opted for the sneakier response.

"For helping your little brother," she grinned. No way would Kallah resist that.

Kallah sighed. "Well, that doesn't really pertain to myself, but you do have a point." He unwrapped the blankets around him, took a pillow out of his stack, and made room for Midna. When he was finished clearing a spot, he motioned for her to sit. "Obviously my bed is tiny, so there's not much room, but as you wish, Fire Queen."

Midna gratefully snuggled under the covers. Oooh, the bed was comfy. Now she could finally get some sleep. Kallah was right about there not technically being enough room for both of them. She was pressed against Kallah's side and practically on top of him. Not like that was a bad thing. Midna grinned. He caused her a lot of unnecessary pain and suffering and she was going to get him back for it tenfold. She threw her arms around him, pulling him tightly to her chest.

"Midna! What are you doing?" Kallah's voice was muffled from the blankets.

"Usually I sleep with my teddy bear, but you'll have to do," Midna responded, burying her face into his hair. Amazing how guys always had better hair then girls. Kallah's locks were soft. He also smelled really nice. Kind of like flowers in the manliest way possible.

"You still sleep with your teddy bear?" Kallah teased.

"Shut up. You still sleep with your blanket."

For once in his life, Kallah didn't have a retort for that. If he did, he chose to keep silent. Instead, he wrapped his own arm around Midna's. For a moment, they were both completely at peace in each other's arms.

"You know, if milady comes in, she'll never let us hear the end of this. I reserve my right to blame you," Kallah broke the silence.

For the first time in her life, that was a blame Midna would happily take.

* * *

"So bro, did you sleep well last night?"

"Shut up. I noticed Zelda was missing for a time. I take it the two of you had a heart to heart?"

Link laughed. Kallah was eagerly downing his full bowl of oatmeal. Unfortunately, they had to give him more Herbs of Rejuvenation. Although he was showing improvement at a rapid rate, it hadn't been enough. Kallah was almost single-handedly depleting their supplies. They were almost out and had to ration it cautiously. Link was also eating heartedly, as today was a big day. If today was successful, District Five would be free.

After his talk with Zelda last night, he went promptly to sleep and his nightmares were forgotten. He was glad because his nightmares truly were horrible and he refused to believe they were true. Zelda once said something about his nightmares having the potential to be visions. Nope. No way. Absolutely not. Link shook his head. On another note, when he woke this morning he found Zelda and the Sheikah discussing the plan for today. After they were done with the serious talk, Zelda motioned for Link to come over and whispered in his ear that Kallah and Midna slept together in the same bed last night.

Not that it was surprising, since clearly the two liked each other, but it was still funny.

"Zelda and I are just friends," Link replied, waving his spoon in Kallah's face.

"Friends with benefits, you mean," Kallah grumbled. Midna, who was walking by, slapped Kallah's back.

"Don't you dare fill his mind with perverted thoughts. Especially regarding the Princess."

"Huh?" Link asked. "We are friends with benefits. I mean, we're really good friends and we benefit each other."

Kallah nearly fell over laughing. Midna shook her head, patting Link on the shoulder. "Stay innocent, will ya Junior? Just do us a favor and don't tell anyone else that."

Link nodded, although he still didn't understand. Midna hit Kallah one more time. "If you're done laughing and warping your poor little brother's mind, we have a job we need to attend to."

Kallah stopped laughing and nodded. "Link," he said, getting up from his chair and placing his hands on Link's shoulders. "Remember everything you learned. You can do it. No matter what, I will be there with you in spirit. You are the Hero. You will be the one to save Hyrule."

Link nodded, standing up from his chair and giving his big brother a bear hug. "Stay safe," he whispered. "I love you." Link would have to be separated from Kallah for at least a couple of days. As a matter of fact, he didn't really know when he'd see his older brother next. It was a daunting task. Kallah was always by Link's side.

"And I still will be," Kallah said, echoing Link's thoughts. "I'll always be with you. Just remember the important things, stay strong, and we'll see each other. I love you too."

"Not that this isn't touching or anything, but we really do have to go," Midna spoke up. "If we're late you're taking the fall, hotshot."

"I thought I reserved the right to blame you," Kallah replied.

"That's for a different issue and that issue alone. Don't push your luck."

Link reluctantly released Kallah from their embraced. Kallah smiled, flicking Link on the head one last time before giving him a wave. "We've got to go. See you later, kid." He winked at Link, arguing with Midna about something insignificant as the two of them vanished.

Zelda walked over to Link, taking his hand in her own. "They'll be fine," she said.

"I know," Link said. "It doesn't make it any less difficult though."

Sheik grinned. "So, are you ready to go save Hyrule one step at a time, little Hero?"

Link nodded. He was ready.

* * *

**A/N**

**So folks, that's the end of Chapter 6. This chapter took on a completely different feel than the others. I don't really want to call it a "filler" chapter, because it's not, but it was meant to tie up some loose ends before the battle begins. Think of it as a transition chapter. Yeah. That sounds good. **

**I know, I know, I'm such a tease regarding Link and Zelda. They do have some more important things to think about though. xD Don't worry! They'll act on their teenage hormones sooner than you think. ;) **

**This chapter was mostly told from the POV of the girls, since we're always inside Link and Kallah's head. I would like to thank ****Epicocity**** for continuous reviews and constructive criticism. It was our discussion that motivated me to write this chapter in the girls' POV. Thank you! In the future, there will sure to be different character POV as well.**

**You really got to see more of Midna, which I loved. Writing her section was so much fun! Of course, she's much more complicated than what meets the eye. ;)**

**A little shameless self-plug… I do have a blog where I talk about my stories and Zelda, so if you would like. It's a blogspot and it's under my username, skywardprincessoftime. **

**The hits to this story are already beyond my wildest expectations. Thank you! Please continue to review and enjoy the story. :)**

**As always, please excuse any typos/grammar mistakes, but do bring them to my attention!**

**I'll see you on the next chapter for the showdown at the generator!**


	7. Humanity

**Here we are guys! Everything in this story up until now has been leading up to this point. It's time for the first showdown at the generator!**

**Just some quick little things before I start:**

**-Thank you LadyLink98, Light Onthemayo, and Leila Editer for your reviews. I greatly appreciate it!**

**-I have started another multi-chapter Zelda work called **_**Foundation**_** but that does not mean anything will change with this story. I'm working on them simultaneously. :) **

**I'm sure you've noticed the dramatic grammar improvement and that's because _Ascension _****now has a beta-reader! A warm welcome and thank you to Epicocity for all your hard work on this story. Epicocity is also an extremely talented writer, so make sure to go check out _To Catch a Killer _and _The Chosen Trilogy!_**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did… xD**

_**Ascension **_**is rated "T" for mild language, action description, and adult themes.**

* * *

_**Humanity**_

Everything seemed so familiar.

The purple haze that clouded Hyrule looked even more beautiful than normal. Today would certainly be a day to remember. Although it was not quite six in the morning, innocent children played in the streets. They had little time to play between their rigorous studies, so they'd often play early in the morning or late at night. They were heading towards one of the many alleyways towards the right side of the district. If one followed that alley they would find a secret playground created by the district children. Older children would guard the entrance, demanding the younger children tell the password before entering.

Byrne knew he was being ridiculous. How did he know this? He was a one of Ganondorf's best and most loyal soldiers. Raised by a strong military family, Byrne practically grew up in the Academy. He only knew his beloved teachers, his fellow classmates, and his honorable ruler. His parents were—

Byrne frowned. Now that he truly thought about it, he had no memories of his parents whatsoever. Who were his parents? What did they look like?

_Do I even have parents?_

For the past day, the dutiful soldier felt different. It all happened after he suddenly blanked out during the job. That was a disgrace. Byrne went without eating that night in order to punish himself for his failure. What if Ganondorf was attacked during that time? Byrne didn't know what he'd do without his ruler. He was pretty certain he would die. Ganondorf was his reason for living.

This was about more than a temporary memory loss, though. Ever since that moment, ideas came into his mind. He suddenly asked questions. Ganondorf knew all and told all, so there was no reason to question anything. Why was he acting like this? What changed?

Perhaps it had something to do with Kallah. Byrne knew very little about the young soldier, but that day Kallah had seemed to be greatly under the weather. There was no doubt that the boy possessed skill, so to see him suffering was…discouraging.

Nonsense. Kallah was a member of Ganondorf's elite guard. Boy or not, he needed to be sharp both physically and mentally. The benevolent leader needed the best protection he could get. If Kallah wasn't up for the challenge, he should be dismissed. Failure was not an option.

_Still, he's just a boy. _

Shaking his head, Byrne sighed. He needed to banish all frivolous thoughts from his mind. His mission was to destroy District Five and everyone in it. Everything was for Ganondorf. His dear leader would surely praise him for such an excellent display of power. That was the only thing that mattered. Serving Ganondorf was his only priority.

"General Byrne, milord. Is there something wrong? You seem ill," his second-in-command, Gage, asked. Although Byrne was merely a soldier, the great Ganondorf allowed him to rise to the rank of General whenever he led a force on the battlefield. He proudly led the strongest army in all of Hyrule.

Those fools Vaati and Zant would not arrive with the main force until tomorrow, but Byrne and a handful of his best men arrived early in order to scout the location and assure the Resistance wouldn't meddle in their affairs.

The Resistance. What a worthless cause. Who would ever desire to go against the great Ganondorf?

How are they resisting in the first place?

_What are these thoughts? Why am I thinking these things?_

Byrne gave another heavy sigh as Gage raised an eyebrow at his General. "Milord?"

"I will scout the area," Byrne announced, ignoring Gage completely and starting his trek down the hill into District Five. "Keep an eye out for those Resistance dogs. They are certain to appear today."

Gage bowed as a sign of respect, clearly puzzled by Byrne's strange behavior.

Byrne clamped his mechanical hand shut, frustrated with himself. He couldn't afford to let his all-powerful leader down. He was one of Ganondorf's best men. There was no room for error. All other thoughts were unimportant.

Swiping his identification card at the gate of the district, Byrne found himself alone in front of an education building complex. The smiling children were gone. The building was not unlike the school he went to when he was a child.

_What am I thinking about? I only went to the Academy…_

"Snap out of it, Byrne," Byrne grumbled uncharacteristically.

"Sir, what are you doing?" a new voice asked.

Byrne turned his attention to a young boy standing in front of him. The youth resembled him somewhat, sans the metal arm. He was barefoot, dressed in casual clothing. His dark blue hair was lazily pulled up into a ponytail. Instead of sharp, red eyes, the boy's eyes were a dark blue. He grinned, revealing a missing tooth.

There was something odd about this child. Byrne couldn't quite place his finger on it. This was no ordinary little boy. He sensed an odd aura around the child. What was he thinking? Of course the lad was real.

_You're getting slow, Byrne._

"We thank Ganondorf for his protection. I am patrolling the District in order to ensure the citizens' safety," Byrne gave a programmed response.

The boy continued grinning. "Is that really what you're doing?"

"Of course it is. Everything is for our dear ruler."

The boy sighed, mumbling to himself about the stupidity of adults and tugged on Byrne's sleeve. Byrne was confused. He'd never seen a child act so petulantly in front of a soldier. Clearly this boy knew nothing of manners and respect. He opened his mouth to berate the child for his insolence, but something stopped him.

_Why is he not afraid of me?_

"But mister," the child continued. "You're in charge of a force that's going to destroy this district. How can you protect us if you kill everyone?"

Kill everyone? No, he'll spare the children. The great Ganondorf would never order the massacre of innocent children. He is the great protector of Hyrule.

_Then why do I feel something is horribly wrong?_

"The great Ganondorf protects; he does not destroy," Byrne said. "Be at ease, child. You're safe."

The boy's eyes filled with tears. He sniffled loudly, rubbing his nose on his sleeve. The child was still clinging onto Byrne's shirt.

"We're all gonna die, mister," he said between sobs. "You've become a monster again. The blood is on your hands."

Monster? Blood? Byrne's hands were clean. He just washed them about a half hour ago. What was this talk about Byrne being a monster? He was only protecting Hyrule's savior. The great Ganondorf brought peace and prosperity to Hyrule. This child was clearly delusional.

"I'm not…" Byrne couldn't finish his sentence.

Images flashed before him. A desperate little girl, pigtails marred with blood, ran from him, clinging onto a half-ripped doll stained crimson. She was screaming, pleading for everyone to help.

_Why is she running from me? I want to help her…_

Instead of helping her, Byrne clawed at her with his prosthetic arm. That wasn't good enough. Byrne desired vengeance. He wanted revenge. Simply killing the girl would not satisfy his thirst for blood. He was going to dismember her. Breaking the little doll was so easy. Her bones cracked at the slightest application of pressure. He was going to enjoy this.

_No, stop! What did she do? She's an innocent child! Stop!_

Byrne grabbed his head, desperately trying to regain control of his vision. A new memory came forward. After completing his deed, Byrne stood before her broken body. Everything was stained a dark crimson. There was blood on his hands. Angrily, he scrubbed at his dirty hands, trying to get the blood off of him. No matter how much soap he used and how much he scrubbed, the blood would not come off. It was sickening. Desperately Byrne clawed at his own left arm, using his own sheer will to tear the limb out of its socket. Without his arm, he couldn't have blood on his hands. Maybe then he wouldn't be a monster…

_I'm a monster…_

Byrne collapsed from the sight, trying to bring himself back to reality. For the first time in what felt like ages, tears streamed down the soldier's face. He pulled at his hair. That wasn't him. He could never do something like that.

"Stop!" Byrne cried aloud. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I never meant to hurt you!"

"Do you see what you did?" The blue-haired boy from earlier returned, now standing over Byrne's body, crumpled on the ground. "Do you see what you're capable of? Don't ever let the beast within you take control again. If you do, I might be lost forever."

"Wait! Don't go!" Byrne screamed, reaching for the child and instead grabbing air. The child's image dissipated into nothing. Struggling to get up on his feet, Byrne surveyed the surrounding aura. Both his disturbing visions and the child were now gone. He was alone.

Everything was just a memory.

Byrne's initial hunch was correct. The child wasn't real, merely a figment of Byrne's imagination. The visions were a bad nightmare. That was all. Nothing was the truth. The Resistance was pulling some sort of cruel trick on him. Yeah, that was it. That sounded plausible.

_**Don't ever let the beast within you take control again. If you do, I might be lost forever.**_

That was something Byrne couldn't bear.

* * *

Standing on top of District Five's tallest building, a cloaked figure observed his surroundings. So far, everything was going according to plan. Ganondorf's most loyal minion was hit with a blast from the past. From this jogged memory, Byrne was now questioning Ganondorf's motives and his role as a soldier. The Resistance would arrive any moment now.

He was tasked with observing it all.

And with eyes ablaze with red fire, that is exactly what he'd do.

* * *

"This is District Five?" Sheik asked.

"No, Captain Obvious. We've decided to forgo our plan, ignore innocent children, and instead raid District Four because some idiot wants the newest model of a hovercraft," Impa responded sarcastically.

The Resistance was currently hiding behind a small stone formation at the top of the hill before District Five. Link understood Sheik's confusion. Whatever he was expecting, District Five was not it. Maybe it was because District Five was a schooling district, but Link was expecting playgrounds, small buildings, and many houses. Instead, District Five looked no different than District Three. Although there was a field here and there, there were hundreds of skyscrapers and high-rise buildings are far as the eye could see.

"Where is the generator?" Link asked in a low voice to Zelda.

"In the middle of the district," she replied. "Do you see that one building that's slightly taller than the rest? The structure behind it is the generator house."

That made sense. Let's place a massive building in front of the generator. It was like placing a flashing sign over the area saying "brainwashing generator here". Ganondorf was begging them to attack the generator.

_A little conceited, are we? Two can play at that game._

"What are we waiting for? Come on!" Link said, starting to get up before Zelda pulled him back down by the sleeve.

"We mustn't be hasty, Link," she whispered harshly. "We don't know what's out there. I know Ganondorf has some troops in the area. They must not see us."

_**There is a small band of specialized troops on the opposite side of the District. They are anticipating an attack from your current direction. The generator itself seems to be loosely guarded. However, there is a powerful soldier patrolling the area, so I would recommend caution. **_

_Hey, Kallah. Don't you have a job you're supposed to be doing?_

_**Ganondorf is rattling off orders. It's not my fault our enemy is an arrogant fool.**_

Link smiled. It was good to know that despite being several districts away, Kallah could still help them. The thought gave Link comfort. His brother was still by his side.

_**I told you I'd always be here. Now go get 'em, tiger!**_

_Thank you, Kallah. Is there an immediate threat?_ Zelda entered the mental conversation, trying to determine their current situation. Link smiled. He wasn't good at this stuff. He was glad to have her around.

_**If you proceed with caution, you'll be fine. Do be careful around the generator building itself, though. I must leave you now. Ganondorf's blabbing something that may be important. Best wishes to all of you. I will assist you if I'm able. Midna also sends her well wishes.**_

_Thanks to you both. May the Goddesses bless us with their fortune._

_**Be careful, my princess. And Link…try not to do anything stupid, okay?**_

With that last statement, Link felt his brother's presence fade. Link knew that his brother would be unable to actively assist him throughout the duration of the battle. That was okay. Kallah was always the one saving the day. It was Link's turn. Today, the Hero would finally return.

"Let's go Zelda," Link said. The Princess of Destiny nodded in agreement.

They were ready.

* * *

Byrne continued his patrol of District Five. There was an eerie silence surrounding the district. Wasn't there school today? Was this some sort of holiday he didn't know about? Nonsense. Byrne knew every holiday that was dedicated to the great King. All other holidays were invaluable.

Why was it so quiet? Where were the citizens of District Five?

_Do they know we're coming?_

Something was about to happen. Byrne suddenly feared for the generator. The generator was the energy source of the entire district. Control the energy supply and you control the weapons. It was an instinct, but Byrne trusted it.

He started towards the generator.

If the Resistance wanted a fight, then a fight they would get.

* * *

"There's no one here," Sheik said. "Seriously, I thought this place was supposed to have guards."

"Shut up, you fool. Do you want to announce to the whole district that we're here?"

Something wasn't right. Sheik was right, where were all the guards? Although he felt like he was being watched, which was extremely creepy, there was no real threat. They entered the district two hours ago and there was no sign of civilians let alone any guards. Link had thought he would see schoolchildren running around.

He expected to see at least some form of life.

"Something isn't right," Zelda spoke quietly from beside him, as if echoing his thoughts. "We haven't seen a single soul since we entered the district. Today should be a regular day. This entire district should be booming with activity."

"Do they know we're coming?" Link asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

Zelda sighed, concentrating for a moment before shaking her head. "I am unable to determine the reason."

Impa stood in front of Zelda, acting as a human shield. "Stay behind me, milady. We are no longer alone here."

Instead of coming up with a witty retort, Sheik remained quiet. Link noticed that the Sheikah was completely focused, his muscles tensed up as if preparing for a fight.

Using his own energy to examine his surroundings, Link noticed a strong unfamiliar spiritual aura in the back corner of the room. The user was powerful, that was certain. The energy rivaled that of Impa's or even Sheik's. Thankfully, there was only one presence. Link knew this would not be an easy fight.

"So this is the pitiful Resistance," a strong voice said.

Link began to focus his energy. This was his first time using his skills in an actual battle. If he failed, he couldn't just try again. Losing his concentration could mean losing his life. Fueled with his determination, his energy already began forming in the palms of his hands.

The voice's owner stepped out of the shadows. Link held his stance, banishing all thoughts of fear from his mind. Their opponent was a large, burly man. His dark blue hair was pulled back into a long ponytail. His left arm wasn't even human; it was some mammoth metal contraption. However, his most intimidating feature was his narrow, red-yellow eyes. His gaze was so demonic that Link thought he was looking at Ganondorf himself.

A glance to the warrior's attire revealed that their opponent was a member of the royal guard. Kallah and Midna both owned that exact same coat model.

_Are we about to kill one of Kallah's comrades?_

Link shook his head, clearing his mind. Comrades? What comrades? They were brainwashed soldiers. If they weren't brainwashed then they were pure evil. Either way, he was only an obstacle. That's right. In order to free District Five and save all of the innocent civilians, Link needed to defeat this guard once and for all.

"Usually it's polite to give one's name first," Sheik spoke, although his voice was very stern in tone.

"You may call me Byrne. I am a member of the great Ganondorf's elite royal guard. I have pledged my allegiance to my almighty king. You all threaten my lord's great power. For that, all of you must suffer a fate that is worse than death."

"You are quite mistaken, soldier Byrne," Zelda said, "for it is you who must suffer for protecting an unjust ruler. We will defeat you and open District Five's eyes to Ganondorf's tyranny."

Link smiled. Zelda spoke with the confidence and eloquence of a powerful ruler. She was the Princess of Destiny, after all. Link would do everything in his power to not only to destroy Byrne, but to protect Zelda as well. He wasn't in the Hero business just because someone told him to. He would use his power to protect the ones he loved.

"Loyal soldiers of our dear leader," Byrne spoke. "Use your energy to defeat this puny rebellion!"

Apparently, Byrne controlled some sort of shadow magic. It was unlike Midna's but he could create ghostly warriors from the shadows.

Well, that was new. Who needed human soldiers when you could create a whole army from the darkness?

Hordes of ghastly creatures suddenly emerged from the shadows, wielding various weapons ranging from maces to swords. The Resistance prepared itself. The shadow creatures immediately focused their attention on Zelda, some lobbing weapons and others using their spiritual energy to bombard the Princess.

Okay, so these beasties could even use spiritual energy. How pleasant.

Impa stood tall in the face of the attacks, shielding Zelda. Focusing her energy in her hands, the Sheikah released her power. The baby blue energy morphed into a powerful shield that guarded both Impa and Zelda from the danger. Both Link and Sheik knew the shield wouldn't last that long against the onslaught.

"My creatures alone are enough to slay you," Byrne said, retreating back into the shadows.

"Crap! He's getting away, Link!" Sheik called.

Link noticed that, thank you. But what was he supposed to do about it? Impa and Sheik needed all the help they could get fighting off the band of creepy monster soldiers. There were hundreds of them. Sheik quickly discovered that the blasted things also knew how to regenerate themselves.

Well, this keeps getting easier and easier.

Link shot waves of his own energy at the ghosts, frowning when they'd immediately regenerate. How were they supposed to defeat shadows that kept coming back?

"Link! Go after him!" Sheik called, jumping in front of Impa. He closed his eyes in concentration, manifesting his energy in the form of two bright orange swords. He hacked mercilessly at the ghouls.

Surprisingly, the creatures were all but ignoring Link. Huh. He almost felt left out. Despite this fact, there was no way Link was going to let Sheik and Impa all handle those shadow beings on their own. They needed his help. They were getting swarmed.

"You need my help!" Link yelled back, slicing a beast in half with his energy. The damn thing regenerated the instant Link attacked it. Grimacing with frustration, Link once again shot a powerful energy beam at the creature.

Don't these things know how to stay down?

"We can handle this! You need to go after Byrne!" Sheik screamed.

"Go, Link!" Zelda yelled, sending out waves of green energy herself.

'_Handle it' my ass. They need my help._

_**Defeating Byrne is your top priority.**_

That was a voice Link had never heard before. Who was the intruder? Why was he assisting Link? Link shook his head. He had no time to ask questions now. Defeat the evil first, and then ask questions later.

"I'll leave it to you!" Link called, sending a widespread wave of energy to clear a path for himself. Focusing his energy in his fists, he shot himself forward past the ghastly hordes in the blink of an eye.

Byrne better be ready. He was coming.

* * *

Thousands of feet above the battle, the Observer continued to watch the battle. Byrne's unique talent, the ability to summon shadow beasts, was wreaking havoc on the Resistance. The creatures regenerated after every blow and were nearly impossible to beat.

You could only defeat them if you knew how.

The Observer sighed. The Resistance needed some assistance.

* * *

"Uh, Impa, I hate to be the bearer of bad news," Sheik grimaced, cutting down yet another shadow creature. How many of these damn things were there? Fifty? A hundred? Five thousand? Every single time he cut one down, it would just regenerate. How were they supposed to defeat it?

They tried several different methods. Zelda attempted to purify the creatures with her energy, and that didn't work. Sheik of course was hacking them with his spiritual sabers, and clearly that wasn't doing the job. Impa was focusing her energy on the shield and was unable to attack.

"I can't hold my shield forever," Impa said through grit teeth. The physical exertion needed in order to maintain the defense was starting to take its toll on the Sheikah. She felt her entire body grow as heavy as lead. Her vision blurred. She wouldn't last much longer.

"Hang on, Impa," Zelda said, using her own power in order to aid Impa. Impa sighed. She was supposed to protect the princess, not the other way around.

_**Those creatures cannot be defeated by ordinary means.**_

Sheik turned his attention to the source of the spiritual energy. Who was that? It wasn't an aura he recognized. In the back of the corner near one of the old, dusty windows was a figure cloaked in all black. Sheik couldn't make any of the figure out except a pair of piercing red eyes. He stared right into their visitor's eyes, attempting to probe his spiritual defenses.

With Sheik weakened from the fight and the other's superior skill, Sheik didn't stand a chance. Oh well, it was worth a shot.

_**I mean you no harm. I only wish to help.**_

Sheik frowned. It normally wasn't a good idea to accept advice from a loony dressed in all black with menacing scarlet eyes, but these were abnormal circumstances. Besides, the spiritual energy didn't seem malicious.

"Milady?" Sheik called.

He felt Zelda's energy change as she too attempted to probe the stranger's spiritual energy. After a few moments, she seemed satisfied with whatever her conclusion was.

"It's okay, Sheik. I do not know where his allegiance lies, however he does not seem to be an enemy." She turned her attention to the creeper in the corner. "I do not know who you are, but these are troubling times. I humbly beseech you, please, tell us how to defeat these monsters."

_**This shadow army is created from pure darkness. In order to destroy the beasts, you must shower them with light.**_

Well duh, that made sense. Creatures of darkness were destroyed by light. A couple of problems. One, Zelda already tried that when she used her energy to purify the creatures. Two, artificial light clearly didn't work, seeing as the room was still dimly lit despite the onslaught. Three, thanks to Ganondorf's magic, there was no natural light in Hyrule. Not anymore.

_How do we create the natural light, genius?_

_**You are a powerful spiritual user, are you not? Surely someone with your abilities can create a light source of their own.**_

Huh. Looks like this guy was a smartass. Sheik grit his teeth. The cloaked creeper had a point. Earlier, Zelda attempted to purify them, not create her own light source. Surely the princess' spiritual energy was enough, however…

Weren't Sheik and Impa Zelda's protectors? What was their point if she always had to do everything for them? Sheik was a powerful spiritual energy user. He may not be as good as Link, Zelda, Kallah, and Midna, but that didn't mean he wasn't talented.

Today, he would be the one to save the princess. He knew how to light a light bulb. It wasn't that difficult.

Sheik closed his eyes, bringing down his spiritual sabers and allowing the creatures to bombard him for a moment. They didn't matter. All that mattered was turning that pathetic lone light bulb on the ceiling into a powerful light source.

_Goddesses, hear my plea. Help me aid your Princess of Destiny and rid the world of these shadow beasts!_

With Sheik's spell, the light bulb started to radiate a magnificent orange, the proud color of Sheik's spiritual energy. As he focused harder, the orange light gradually morphed into that of a natural light.

Now exposed to the light source, the ghastly army let out a series of wails, screaming in agony as they dissipated into thin air. With a few more spooky cries, the room was rid of the shadow creature's presence. Sheik no longer felt their aura.

Whew. Sweet relief.

With the imminent threat of danger now gone, Sheik allowed himself to collapse on the ground, clutching his chest in order to control his breathing. The Sheikah was practically drenched in his own sweat. Who knew defeating a bunch of deranged ghosts would be so difficult?

As much as he didn't want to admit it, they owed the cloaked stalker their thanks. Who knows what would have happened if he didn't show up.

"Hey, tha-" Sheik started, stopping suddenly as he realized that the crazy guy was already gone. What a creeper! Appearing when they needed help and suddenly disappearing the moment the battle was over.

One thing was for sure—Sheik didn't trust that guy. Not one bit.

* * *

The Observer returned to his position on top of the building. He had hoped the Resistance would figure out the shadow creatures' weakness on their own, but given the circumstances, everything was going smoothly. Now it was up to the young Hero to prove his worth.

The Observer turned his attention to the boy who was now aimlessly wandering the corridors of the generator building. It looks like the child lost his target.

If the Resistance had any hope of winning the war, their Hero needed to grow up fast.

* * *

Where the _hell _did that guy go?

Link frowned. He should have followed metal-arm man as soon as he disappeared. What was his name? Link couldn't remember. No matter. It made things easier if he didn't know his opponent's name. It lessened the human aspect.

Evil, brainwashed, or not, a human was still a human. Link didn't like the thought of attacking any human, no matter how deranged they were.

Link shook his head. He couldn't afford to think like that. Not now.

"Are you going to attack me or not?" Link finally called out, his voice echoing. What kind of generator building was this? There were no lights, no computers, and most of all, no people. Sure, this guy had his army of crazy beasties, but he clearly wasn't the normal guard. Did Ganondorf really leave the generators unguarded? How arrogant.

Didn't he want to attack the poor, defenseless, weak teenager?

_Yeah, that's a good plan, Link. Make it seem like you're a weakling, that way he'll be surprised when you're actually the possessor of the Hero's Spirit. This is your first official battle. You have to make a solid impression on our dear leader, don't you?_

Link grinned. Of course he did.

"You're out of your league, boy."

It looked like his challenger finally decided to grace him with his presence.

Link took several deep breaths. This was it. This was his moment.

"I think you'll be pleasantly surprised," Link responded. He'd have to work on his witty retorts. He was never good at comebacks. He blamed Kallah for that. Although this probably wasn't the time to worry about trivial things like that. Link had more important matters to deal with.

Defeating this guy was number one on the list. After his victory, Link would then draw out the actual location of the generator. Yeah, that was the plan.

Now it was time for the execution.

"Hmm. I will admit you have a fascinating aura surrounding you, boy. You are powerful. However, I can see that this power is still young. Your lack of experience will be your downfall." His opponent came out of the shadows, flexing his prosthetic arm and probing Link's energy in order to discover his strengths and weaknesses.

No way. That may have worked a few days ago, but Link would never let anyone read his energy. There was no way Scrappy here would ever penetrate his defenses. Link was the Hero. Zelda relied on him to save the world, and there was no way he was going to let her down. The lives of countless citizens hung in the balance.

Link sighed deeply, concentrating his energy in the palms of his hands. Fueled by his spirit, his hands glowed a serene golden color. Link's pure blue eyes stared right into Byrne's red-yellow gaze. Both tested the other, anticipating the first move.

Link struck first.

Testing Byrne's physical defenses, he sent a strong beam of golden energy at his opponent's prosthetic arm. Not surprisingly, Byrne blocked the attack effortlessly and counterattacked with a blast of his own.

Dodging to the side, Link let loose another series of blasts at Byrne's right side. The warrior once again blocked the attack, aiming his counterattack at Link's right palm. Link remembered what Midna told him about going for the hands. A user could not manifest their energy if their limbs were disabled.

What Midna neglected to tell him was that apparently prosthetic arms were functional. Byrne was sending powerful blasts of bluish-purple energy at him using his metal hand.

If Link knew where the attacks were aimed, that meant that he could dodge them. Meanwhile, Byrne's prosthetic arm gave him a unique advantage. He could manifest his energy using the limb and at the same time that limb was more sturdy and harder to injure.

So the left arm was a bit difficult to attack. The right arm was still fair game, though. Link back-flipped, shooting energy out of both of his hands as he dodged Byrne's latest attack. Byrne, caught off guard by Link's acrobatics, was unprepared for Link's assault and Link struck first blood.

Link's determination and desire to protect his friends strengthened his energy. With his spirit strong, his energy was more than enough to disable Byrne's right arm. The soldier grimaced in pain, grimacing in pain slightly before sending a shockwave at energy at Link.

Clearly Link was more of a challenge than he originally anticipated.

Deciding that traditional techniques would not work on the young Hero, Byrne used his energy to summon that monster army of his again.

Not these guys again.

Link sent a couple of energy blasts at them, hoping this time his spiritual energy would defeat them in one go. Of course, that wasn't the case, as the shadow beasts immediately regenerated. One swung its massive ax at Link. Link dodged, shooting an energy blast at it. Another one crept behind him, nearly stabbing him with a knife.

There were hundreds of the blasted things. How was Link supposed to defeat them and best Byrne at the same time?

Concentrating on the ghosts, Link temporarily forgot that his true opponent was behind the shadow attack. Byrne was the real enemy. If Link defeated Byrne, then his shadow creatures would be defeated as well.

One of the blasted things shot an arrow in his direction. Link dodged, letting the arrow strike the ghost that was previously behind him. One wielding a spiked club was quickly upon him. Link used his own physical strength to knock the club out of the creature's hand, flinging the club at the other shadow creatures.

He was so busy fighting the beasts that he didn't notice a powerful spiritual energy blast headed straight at him.

Byrne! Of course!

Link desperately jumped to the side, hoping he would be able to dodge the blast. Unfortunately, he noticed a bit too late and the power slammed into Link's right leg. Link had never been hit with a powerful energy blast before, and he hoped to never experience it again.

Upon contact, the bones in Link's femur shattered. So much for being one of the strongest bones in the body.

Link cried out, unable to mask his pain. It was if a thousand needles were digging into his thigh. It was absolutely excruciating.

How could he be so stupid? One of Link's biggest assets was his mobility. He was quick and was very good at dodging. It was the reason why he did so well in the battle up to this point. Link focused his energy in his leg, hoping he could heal the leg. While he lessened the pain, it was only a matter of seconds before he needed to use the energy to create a shield.

Link was going to be crushed at this point.

Link closed his eyes, using his energy to surround him in a powerful shield. He ignored the pain in his leg, concentrating on how he would defeat Byrne. He either needed to gather enough energy to heal his leg or defeat Byrne in a different way.

So a physical battle was out of the question. No matter. They'd just change the playing field. It was time for a mental assault. As long as Link's shield held, he could probe Byrne's defenses and defeat him mentally. He could force Byrne to lose control of his shadow creatures or even forfeit the duel.

Let's see how well Link's training paid off. Remembering Kallah's words about confidence, Link filled his mind with confident thoughts. If he showed the slightest bit of hesitation, his opponent would certainly take advantage of it. He began to probe Byrne's mental defenses.

Byrne was a powerful soldier. However, Kallah was much stronger. Looks like all of those times unintentionally probing Kallah's mind paid off. After a minor struggle, Link broke through Byrne's mental defenses and witnessed a series of images.

That was strange. Byrne seemed confused. Was this normal for a brainwashed citizen? Link only probed the mind of free-thinkers, so this was a unique experience. No, it wasn't just the brainwashing. Byrne was asking questions. He wanted to know if Ganondorf really was a benevolent leader, or if he was being lied to. He wanted to know who he was.

_**I don't want to be a monster.**_

More images flashed before Link's mind. He saw a young boy with dark blue hair, presumably Byrne as a child, screaming as he was torn away from a woman in a wheelchair. Link then witnessed a house engulfed in flames as Byrne could only watch. The worst image was Byrne wailing in pain, missing a left arm and kneeling over the body of a dismembered little girl.

_What happened to you, Byrne?_

_**Who are you? What do you want?**_

_I want to save you._

Link knew very little about Byrne and who he was. However, if he was seeing Byrne's memories like he thought he was, Byrne lived a very tragic life. Things happened to him as a child that he could not control. He was taken away from his grandmother and his parents were murdered. These were things no child should ever experience.

_**I can't be saved. Look at me! I killed her! I'm a monster!**_

Link once again faced the image of Byrne kneeling in front of the dismantled girl. Link forced bile down his throat. The poor child was murdered in the most horrific way. Forcing his attention to Byrne, Link noticed that the warrior was sobbing, desperately trying to get her blood off of his hands.

Link had no idea why Byrne killed that little girl in the first place, but he knew it wasn't because Byrne was an evil man. No evil being would sob at the sight of a dead child.

Byrne was not evil. He was human. A human who committed a horrendous mistake.

_I don't know why you killed her, Byrne. Killing her was wrong. But I believe…I believe that you didn't want to kill her. I believe that deep down you're a good person._

_**I'm not a good person! I'm not even human! The great Ganondorf saved me from my suffering…**_

_Ganondorf brainwashed you! He took advantage of your grief. Open your eyes, Byrne! Think about all of your wonderful memories! Think of your grandmother! Think of your parents! You wouldn't want them to suffer, would they?_

Link opened his eyes, noticing that he was no longer being bombarded by shadow beasts. Link cautiously brought down his shield, turning his attention to Byrne. The soldier was on the ground, howling in pain. His useless arm hung limply by his side. He tore at his hair, snapping the ponytail holder in two. His hair fell against his face, concealing his pained expression. Byrne was sobbing.

Using his arms to drag himself across the floor, Link slowly made his way over to Byrne.

Byrne was the first person he'd truly interacted with who was brainwashed. Sure, Link had meaningless conversation with brainwashed people all of the time, but never before did he try to decipher why they were brainwashed in the first place. Byrne was certainly a powerful spiritual energy user. He had the ability to resist. So if he wasn't evil, why did he allow himself to be brainwashed?

"Byrne," Link spoke softly. "You're not a monster. The man who killed that sweet little girl—that wasn't you. That's not who you truly are."

"I killed her," Byrne whispered, staring at Link. His eyes lost their menacing glow. Instead of looking deranged, he now looked sad. Link could tell Ganondorf's hold on Byrne was slipping.

Maybe he wasn't supposed to defeat Byrne. Maybe he was supposed to save him.

* * *

"Sheik? Are you alive?"

Huh. He wasn't even aware that he had passed out. With a groan, Sheik pulled himself up into a sitting position, rubbing the back of his head. Next time when he passes out, he really should faint on a bed. Slamming into the concrete floor is not one's idea of fun. Impa was sitting next to him with a concerned expression on her face. If he didn't know any better, he'd think she was worried about him.

Sheik grinned. No way was he going to pass this opportunity up.

"Were you worried about me, Impa?" he asked in a teasing tone. The female Sheikah frowned, slapping him gently on the arm.

"Of course not!" She cried, unable to hide her slight embarrassment. Her cheeks flushed a light shade of pink. With a slight cough, she continued in a stern tone. "We're supposed to be protecting the Princess. How can you protect her when you're passed out?"

"Eh, that's why there's two of us," Sheik said. Hoo. He was tired. Hopefully they wouldn't face any more baddies for awhile.

"Rest," Impa said, shoving him back down. "There's no immediate danger in the area."

"How's Link?" Sheik asked, surprised at how hoarse his voice was. "Is there any sign of him?"

Zelda placed a cool towel on Sheik's forehead in order to ease the searing pain in his temple. "I sense his presence. He has engaged the enemy in battle. I am unable to determine the outcome of their battle at this point." She took Sheik's hand gently. "Thank you," she said in a quiet voice. "You saved us."

Sheik grinned. Little Link must love this. It was nice to be the hero. Too bad being the hero always involved pain. That was never fun.

"It was no sweat, Princess. Isn't this my job?"

"Did you say Princess?"

In their touching moment, the three didn't even notice that a new person had entered the building.

Well, honestly it was about damn time. The whole "ghost town" thing was creepy. Especially since they encountered an army of shadow beasts. Even though his spiritual energy was weak, Sheik could tell that the newcomer was not a foe. It even seemed like the person was fully in control of their senses.

"May I help you?" Zelda asked with a polite smile on her face, also sensing that the visitor was friendly.

"It really is you. My Princess, how we have waited for your return."

Sheik looked up to see an elderly lady bowing before Zelda. The woman was small in stature. One of her eyes was closed as if she was eternally winking. She hardly seemed threatening physically, but Sheik could tell that she carried an immense amount of spiritual energy and wisdom. She was without a doubt one of the leaders of District Five.

"I am glad I can finally come out of hiding," Zelda replied, bowing slightly to the woman as a sign of respect. "From your aura, I hypothesize that you are one of the leaders of this district. Am I correct?"

The woman laughed. "You certainly are the Princess of Destiny, aren't you, m'dear? I keep a pretty tight guard around my spiritual energy. Yes, as you've discovered, my name is Anjean. I am the headmaster of our quaint little university. I noticed you've cleaned up the place a bit."

"We ran into a little trouble, but thankfully my protectors were there to save the day," Zelda said with a nod in Sheik and Impa's direction.

"If you don't mind me asking, what kind of trouble did you run into?" The elderly woman sat down on one of the concrete slabs, unable to stand any longer. The poor woman probably needed a wheelchair. Knowing that fact, it took a heck of a lot of determination for her to make her way over here. Sheik attributed that to both her spiritual energy and her will.

"We encountered a powerful member of Ganondorf's royal guard," Zelda explained with a downcast look. "He was a strong user who summoned shadow creatures that regenerated upon contact."

"I knew it," the woman said with a sigh. "I felt his presence. I know he's here."

Okay, now Sheik was royally confused. He had a bunch of questions he was itching to ask the old coot, such as where the hell all the people of District Five were. How did she know their opponent? Shouldn't they be talking about the massive assault that would occur tomorrow?

Zelda seemed unfazed. "You know him, Madam Anjean? If you don't mind me asking, how is that?"

"I'm hoping you can save him, my dear," Anjean said with a downcast look. Sheik didn't need to use his spiritual energy to determine that the woman was in a lot of emotional pain. It certainly wasn't a happy story. "That man's name is Byrne. He is my grandson."

"That giant demonic freak with one arm is your grandson?" Sheik couldn't contain his shock.

"Be courteous!" Impa scolded with a slap to Sheik's head. Whoops. Maybe he was a bit too direct with his statement, but it surprised him. Hey, Impa slapping him meant that she was okay. Sheik was worried that she used up too much energy maintaining the shield, but she seemed to be okay.

Anjean gave another laugh. "His description isn't inaccurate." Quieting herself, her eyes narrowed in sadness. "Byrne was corrupted by Ganondorf. You may not believe me, but he was a gentle child once. That was before the war."

"I believe you," Zelda said. "We may have only met each other briefly, but I did not sense great evil from Byrne. Instead, I felt sadness and confusion. He was different than the other soldiers I've encountered in the past."

"Ganondorf sensed great power within him. Taking advantage of that, he murdered Byrne's parents in front of him and blamed it on a rival family," Anjean continued. "In his rage, Byrne murdered the entire rival family, including their little girl. Being kind at heart, Byrne couldn't live with what he did. When Ganondorf gained control of Hyrule, Byrne saw his brainwashing as relief from the pain of murdering an innocent family."

Sheik looked down. The stinking pig saw a boy with power, murdered his family, and then influenced the boy to kill out of revenge. Now emotionally unstable, he was an easy target for brainwashing. That was just sickening. Nothing was Byrne's fault.

One more reason to kill Ganondorf as quickly as possible.

"He really is a sweet boy," Anjean said, tears streaming down her face. "Ganondorf manipulated the poor child. I know—I know he's in there somewhere. I know you have no reason to help me, but this old woman humbly begs you for your assistance," she continued, maneuvering herself into a bow. "My Princess. Please have mercy on that poor child's soul. Help me save him."

"We'll help," Zelda assured her, offering her hand to the elderly woman and helping her stand up.

_**That won't be necessary, Princess.**_

Sheik knew that annoying voice. It looked like their cloaked stalker had returned. This was really starting to get a bit on the creepy side. Why did he appear when they were in trouble? It was freaky.

Anjean gasped. "You…" she breathed. "Thank you. Would you take me to him?"

"I'm not sure if you should go with him, Ma'am," Sheik spoke up. "I don't trust that cloaked freak."

There was no way in hell he was going to let Mr. Dark over there take an innocent old lady to who knows where. So what if he helped them earlier? He wasn't to be trusted. Sheik couldn't read his aura. That was never a good sign.

"Thank you for your concern, young man," Anjean continued with a smile. "But I assure you that I'll be safe." She made her way over to the cloaked figure, extending her hand to him. "Please show this old lady the way."

The figure took her hand, and within an instant the two were gone.

Sheik could only pray for her safety.

* * *

"Byrne…" Link was desperately trying to reach the wounded soldier, but to no avail. He sighed. He weakened Ganondorf's hold on the warrior, but it wasn't quite enough. Link wasn't familiar enough with the situation.

If only there was someone who knew him…

As if the Goddesses answered his prayer, Link felt the arrival of a new presence. Glancing to his side, he saw an elderly lady hobble over to Byrne, calling his name and holding out her arms.

"Byrne, my child. Do not cry. Grandma Anjean is here."

Link scooted out of the way, making room for the woman to approach the fallen warrior. She collapsed by his side, stroking his hair gently and making shushing noises. Byrne, still struggling with Ganondorf's brainwashing, howled in pain. He started to shove her away, but something stopped him and he instead clutched her shirt.

"Byrne…" Anjean continued. "Remember who you are…"

Link opened his mouth to help before he was cut off by a spiritual message.

_**Leave them. You've done your job. You have opened his eyes to the truth. Only Anjean can truly bring him out of the darkness.**_

Link barely recognized the aura. He heard that voice earlier in the day. Frantically glancing from side to side, Link noticed a mysterious figure cloaked in black in the corner of the room. Among the darkness he saw a set of piercing red eyes. Link probed carefully at the aura. The user was powerful, maybe as powerful as Link himself. He couldn't detect anything, but he did determine that the user was not an enemy.

_So what do I do then?_

_**You must destroy the generator.**_

Link was so caught up in everything that he forgot about his true mission. Link needed to destroy the generator! If he could, then perhaps the hold on District Five would lessen. Maybe then people could start thinking for themselves.

There was no time to lose. Link bolted to his feet, forgetting that the femur in his right leg was shattered. Link gasped, biting his lip, almost collapsing to the ground in pain before he felt a powerful force surround his injured limb.

Link's eyes widened in shock. The mysterious figure was using his power to heal Link's leg. The aura was a blood red color, as red as the user's eyes. Link smiled. It was not unlike the color of Kallah's spiritual energy. Although the user did not carry the same spiritual energy as his brother, it felt like Kallah himself was healing Link. It was a comforting feeling.

_Thank you_.

Link had no idea who this mysterious figure was, but he was grateful for the help. He also couldn't shake the feeling that he knew his unnamed helper.

A red light illuminated the path.

_**Follow the red light. It will lead you to the generator. I must leave you now. It is up to you, Hero.**_

Link opened his mouth to say his thanks, but the figure was already gone. How strange. Link had a billion questions he wanted to ask, but now was not the time. He had a generator he needed to destroy.

After determining that Byrne and Anjean were fine for now, Link carefully tested his newly healed leg. The leg felt better than new. After one last look towards the pair, Link followed the red light.

It was a good thing he had something to guide him, because not only was it pitch black, but the building was somewhat of a labyrinth. After what felt like hours of walking, the light stopped in front of a massive cylindrical structure.

So this was the famous generator.

Huh. It was only the size of a dueling stadium. No big deal. Link wasn't impressed.

Taking a calming deep couple of breaths, Link focused all of his energy into his hands.

This was it.

* * *

Images flashed before his mind. Every horrible memory came rushing back to him. He couldn't get that image of her mangled body out of his head. The blood still wouldn't rub off. He was a monster.

He reached desperately for Ganondorf to comfort him. He would be the great leader's dutiful soldier. The only thing that mattered was pleasing Ganondorf. Ganondorf's wish was his command.

Instead of sweet relief, he only saw pain. He only heard screams. He only saw death.

_**Byrne…**_

_Who are you? Leave me alone! It's not safe near me!_

_**It's not your fault, dear child…**_

_Everything is my fault! I'm a monster!_

_**Remember who you are!**_

Then there was that boy. That troublesome teenager had injured his arm and successfully launched a mental attack on Byrne's defenses. Sure, he was already questioning himself, but it was still an impressive feat. The child held his ground in a fight with him. Maybe the Resistance wasn't as puny as he originally thought.

_Maybe they could actually bring peace to Hyrule._

No. Hyrule was a peaceful nation. Ganondorf ruled benevolently and everyone was happy. He never heard anyone speak ill about the dear leader. He never saw anyone suffer. Everything was peaceful…

_**Open your eyes, child! He brainwashed all of Hyrule!**_

If the land was truly peaceful, why did these visions come to him? Why did he always rely on Ganondorf to take his pain away? Byrne was a man. Men are in control of their own emotions. They don't need anyone else to console them. Why couldn't he remember anything about his family? Why was Ganondorf the only thing he thought about?

_This isn't right…_

_**Yes, Byrne! It's not right! Together, we can save Hyrule!**_

Byrne knew that voice. It wasn't Ganondorf, it wasn't the boy, nor was it anyone from his nightmares. A new image flashed by him, this one of a sweet, elderly lady in a wheelchair. She was wise behind her years and the kindest woman he'd ever known. She always had a smile on her face and she was always proud of him.

_If you're not careful, I'll be lost forever._

Then there was that child earlier in the day. The boy who asked him if he'd help. The child that clung to his shirt, sobbing. Who did that child represent? Could it be…? Byrne focused on the child's memory, pleading for that little boy to help him. As he concentrated harder and harder, he saw himself reaching for the old woman's hand.

Suddenly, a new voice cut in. Byrne could recognize that voice anywhere. It was a deep, powerful, commanding voice.

_**Let me ease your pain. You won't have to worry anymore.**_

The statement sounded friendly enough, but Byrne could sense the menace behind it. That was Ganondorf's voice. Instead of sounding comforting like it did in the past, Byrne could now hear the malicious intent. Ganondorf just wanted to use him. Ganondorf was the true force behind all of his past tragedy. He was a threat to Ganondorf's power, so the tyrant used him. He served him aimlessly for all these years.

No more. The same mind trick wouldn't work twice.

_So this is who I am._

"Grandma Anjean?" Byrne asked hoarsely. His grandmother was holding him in a comforting hug, stroking his hair gently. The pain in Byrne's right arm was gone. She must have healed him when he was out of it.

After everything he did, she was still there for him. So this is what true love was like.

Byrne almost forgot.

"Oh, Byrne," She gasped between sobs. "You're back. You finally broke free…"

"I'm so sorry," Byrne whispered, pulling his grandmother close. He gently rested his head on her shoulder, rubbing circles on her back comfortingly. For a moment, they cried together, finally feeling human love for the first time in twelve years. "I failed you, Grandma Anjean."

"No," she said, smiling at him. "Ganondorf used you. He brainwashed you into murdering that family. The monster who killed that sweet little girl wasn't you, Byrne. You are a kind boy. Now that you're free, you can help the Princess save the rest of Hyrule too."

"I've made so many mistakes," Byrne continued. All of his memories, not just the nightmares, came flooding back to him. He now remembered all of the happy times too. Maybe he wasn't as evil as he originally thought. Although, even if Ganondorf was pulling the strings, that did not excuse his actions. However, he wasn't going to hide in a corner and forget everything. He was going to take action. "But I'm ready to face them," he said in a confident voice.

"Go, child. The Hero awaits," Anjean beamed, kissing him on the cheek. "This old woman will be just fine."

"I won't fail you again," Byrne said, looking at his grandmother one last time with a smile on his face. "I also won't fail myself."

It was time for him to face the past.

* * *

Kallah wasn't kidding when he said an immense amount of spiritual energy was needed in order to destroy the generator.

For the past half hour, Link blasted away at the generator with his spiritual energy. He tried everything. He tried slicing it in half, sending one big blast, sending a constant stream. Heck, he even tried to purify the darn thing.

He then tried altering his state of mind. Originally, he was filled with the desire to save Hyrule. Then he focused his attention on Zelda. Nothing was working.

Link slumped to the ground, gasping for air. Other than the spiritual transfer, it was the first time he'd ever truly felt exhausted from using his spiritual energy.

_So this is what Kallah always feels like._

No. Link banished the thought from his mind. No way was he going to think about that right now. He had to stay focused and positive. Kallah once told him that his strongest emotion was love and the desire to protect.

Why wasn't it working? Was he not strong enough?

"It's too much for one to destroy on their own."

Link knew that voice.

Byrne.

"Byrne?" Link asked incredulously. The warrior emerged from the shadows. Instead of looking depressed and deranged like he did in their earlier encounter, he was beaming from ear to ear. It looked like Anjean was successful in bringing him back.

_I'm so glad._

It was a sign of hope for humanity.

"I'm sorry, Hero. I was lost in my own insanity and that caused me to attack you," Byrne lowered his head in a polite bow. "I cannot hope to make up for all my wrongdoing in these past twelve years, but I will do everything in my power to assist you."

"It's Link," Link responded sheepishly, rubbing his head. He hated being referred to as the Hero, even if it was true. It was kind of creepy. He didn't like anyone idolizing him like that. He grinned, extending his hand to Byrne. "I'm grateful for your help."

The evil was completely purged from Byrne's spirit. Link only detected a calm, kind, and helpful aura. So this was the true Byrne. Sure, he had help from Anjean, but Link was proud of Byrne. He defeated Ganondorf's spell with his own inner strength. That was something to be admired.

Byrne took Link's hand in his right, non-mechanical one. Good. It appeared Anjean healed him. Well, they were both healed from their previous encounter. Link figured he'd let bygones be bygones.

"Together?" Link asked, winking at Byrne.

"Together," Byrne said with a smile of his own.

Inhaling simultaneously, the two spiritual users released their energy. Instead of taking that menacing color it was before, Byrne's energy was now a pleasant dark blue. Byrne's energy combined with the purity of Link's golden energy, lighting up the entire room. With their combined strength, the generator shattered from the sheer force of their combined power. Link closed his eyes, shielding his eyes from the blinding flash. The whole building shook from the destruction. Link's eyes widened when he noticed a stray generator piece nearly collide with his head.

A deep blue defense shielded the young Hero from the debris. Link smiled gratefully at Byrne, gathering his own energy and using it to form a protective golden shield around his companion. Link was shocked at the force of the generator debris.

He grinned. They really did a number on the metal tin can.

After the shower of debris subsided, both warriors lowered their shields. The generator was now a still-steaming pile of rubble. Link swore he saw traces of a black spiritual energy dissipate into thin air.

Link always blocked Ganondorf's brainwashing subconsciously, but now that he thought about it, resisting seemed a bit easier.

They did it.

The District Five generator was now destroyed.

"Yes!" Link cried, jumping up and down like a schoolchild. He didn't care. Sure, there were six more to go, seven if you counted the main generator, but it was a start. Maybe now the people of District Five could regain some of their senses.

Link turned to Byrne gratefully. He couldn't have done it without his help.

"Thank you so much, Byrne. I couldn't have done it without you. Hyrule owes you its thanks," he said, bowing low to the soldier.

Byrne laughed sheepishly, turning a light shade of pink. "I am the one who should be thanking you. It was you that opened my eyes to the truth in the first place." He returned the bow, smiling up at Link. "I now see that there is hope for Hyrule."

"I have to go tell the others!" Link cried, immediately taking off down the corridor and disappearing around the corner.

_I did it, Kallah._

* * *

Byrne smiled. In his excitement, the young hero wandered back into the labyrinth, probably forgetting it was even there. No matter. The boy possessed extraordinary power. He'd find his way no problem. He probably wouldn't even know he was lost.

Byrne resisted the urge to chase after him.

No, he wasn't done yet. He had unfinished business to attend to.

"The Hero was successful," he spoke aloud. He knew he wasn't alone.

The figure cloaked in black emerged from the shadows. He watched the entire thing. Byrne knew why he was there. He was certain Ganondorf sent him in order to spy on the Resistance. Of course, Ganondorf also didn't know that the figure was aiding the Resistance.

He only knew one person who was strong enough to resist, aid the Resistance, and fool Ganondorf all at the same time.

It was the person who weakened the spell on him in the first place.

"Yes he was," his companion agreed. "He had help. Thank you."

"It is I who should be thanking you. If you hadn't weakened the spell on me in the first place, I would never have broken free from Ganondorf's control. I owe everything to you, Kallah."

Kallah brought down his hood, his crimson eyes turning back into their usual serene blue. His fellow guard smiled. "You've completely regained control. I'm happy for you, Byrne. Welcome to the real world."

"For the first time in years, I am finally seeing the truth," Byrne said. "Before I was walking around blindly. Now I am myself. I owe it all to you. If you hadn't performed that full-body takeover, I would not be where I am now. Thank you."

Kallah laughed lightly. "You can thank our dear ruler for that one," he said with a wink. "But you're welcome. I thought it was a nice plan myself."

"What's with the get-up?" Byrne asked, raising his eyebrow at Kallah's all-black attire.

"The great Ganondorf requested I wear it. I am, after all, a spy. I'm supposed to be watching the Resistance."

"Instead, you're aiding the Resistance."

Kallah grinned. "Semantics," he said. "After all, I did not directly aid anyone. I may have dropped a couple of hints on how to defeat your shadow creatures, but that's about it. Oh, and I showed Link how to get here. That's all water under the bridge. My report will be thorough and I'm sure our dear ruler will be pleased."

"Oh, he will be," Byrne said with a sad smile. "He will be very pleased."

Kallah knew that something was wrong. Byrne was happy, happier than he'd been in years, but he knew he needed to take responsibility for his actions. He was not as powerful as Kallah. Surely Ganondorf was already aware of his defection and his act of treachery. As much as Byrne wanted to stay in District Five with Grandma Anjean and aid the Resistance, as long as he lived, Ganondorf would be after him. He would only put the ones he loved in danger.

That was something he would not allow. Not anymore.

"Byrne…" Kallah knew where this was going.

"Don't, Kallah. I only have one question I'd like to ask you—you were the one that sent the vision of that little boy, right?"

"'Sent' is the wrong word. I may have given you a mental suggestion or two."

Byrne smiled. He owed Kallah even more now. That conversation he had this morning also opened his eyes to the truth. As much as he didn't want to burden Kallah anymore, he had one last favor to ask. A favor he only wanted Kallah to fulfill.

"Did you figure out who that child was?" Kallah asked solemnly.

Byrne nodded. "Yes," he said. "And I will never lose sight of him again." He took a deep breath, walking to the lone window in the corner of the building. He closed his eyes, mentally seeing District Five as it was before Ganondorf rose to power. It truly was a beautiful, peaceful place.

Byrne turned back to Kallah, looking at the young spiritual user with a hopeful look. "Please, Kallah…"

Kallah knew what he wanted. Eyes brimming with tears, Kallah nodded. It was a dirty job. Byrne felt remorse for the poor boy. As powerful as he was, just like the Hero, he was merely a boy. The task Byrne gave him was not an easy one. It was necessary, but that didn't mean it was easy.

Byrne nodded once, signaling for Kallah to perform the deed.

Tears streamed down the young soldier's face as he gathered his crimson spiritual energy in his fists. Byrne closed his eyes. This was it.

_Thank you, Grandma Anjean. I'm so sorry. This must be done. I would have given anything to live my life with you._

Kallah's spiritual energy slammed into Byrne's body. In his last moments, Byrne couldn't help but be impressed. Kallah had such great control over his energy, so great that Byrne felt absolutely no pain. Instead, he felt a wave of relief. His suffering was over.

There was no way Byrne could ever atone for all his sins. Despite that fact, he would continue to try. Although his physical body may be destroyed, he would always help Grandma Anjean and the citizens of District Five in spirit. At least he was no longer another pawn for Ganondorf to use. He was no longer a brainwashed machine.

As his last breath left him, he saw a small hand reach out to him. It was the boy from before, with a toothy grin and hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. Beside him there was a sweet little girl brown hair pulled back into pigtails who also offered her hand. Taking each of their hands, Byrne joined them in the world beyond and achieved spiritual rest.

_I forgive you._

He was finally human.

* * *

**A/N**

***collapses from exhaustion* Oh gosh. That was the hardest chapter I've ever written. This is only part one to the battle, folks! We still have the main battle. ;) Ganondorf won't be too pleased when he figures out what went on…**

**Hmmm…empty District Five. What's going on here? Where did all the citizens go? **

**Next chapter we're going to take a bit of a break from the action and address a certain character's identity. ;) **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and it lived up to all of your expectations. This was a killer for me to write for several reasons. I hope the action scenes aren't too awful. It never was my strength. xD**

**Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews and support. I appreciate them all so much! **

**Another huge thanks to Epicocity for beta-reading this fic! :D**

**Thank you again for reading and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	8. Identity

**The moment has finally arrived. I've been waiting for this chapter since I published this story last month. **

**-Thank you Leila Editer, LEva114, Light Onthemayo, GlissGirl99, Katia0203, LadyLink98 and Lariant Ambrillis for your wonderful reviews. I greatly appreciate it!**

**Many thanks to Epicocity for beta-reading this chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did… xD**

_**Ascension **_**is rated "T" for mild language, action description, and adult themes.**

* * *

_**Identity**_

"WHAT?"

So even Ganondorf could be genuinely surprised. You learn something new every day.

"The Resistance has successfully destroyed the generator in District Five, milord," Kallah repeated calmly. "It was Soldier Byrne's defection that allowed the Resistance to obliterate the generator."

_Thank you, Byrne._

"I heard you the first time," Ganondorf growled, red eyes narrowing in fury. The tyrant angrily clenched Kallah's written report in his fist, crumpling the paper.

Kallah had never seen Ganondorf so angry. Didn't the overgrown pig always know what was coming? Kallah didn't dare attempt to probe the tyrant's spiritual energy, but his outrage seemed real enough.

"Milord, there is another issue we have to address. District Five is-" Kallah continued.

"Enough," Ganondorf cut him off. "No more of this ridiculous babbling. Begone. I will deal with this issue in the morning." The usurper king slammed his fist down on the concrete desk with such force that it shattered the table into a million pieces.

"Milord?" Zant asked tentatively. He kept a good distance away from the angered ruler, clearly taken aback by Ganondorf's outburst. After twelve years of rule, this was the first time Ganondorf was ever surprised by anything. This was the first time an uprising wasn't controlled. This was the first time Ganondorf didn't know what was going on.

"All of you! Leave me!" Ganondorf howled, throwing a vase across the room like a petulant child.

His subjects all gave a polite bow before leaving Ganondorf to his temper tantrum.

* * *

Kallah teleported back to his house. Ganondorf would call him when he required his services. After all, Kallah wasn't an official guard anymore. He was Ganondorf's personal spy and only reported for duty when summoned. Of course, a brainwashed guard would return to District Five and attempt to figure out why the District was completely devoid of human activity.

Kallah grinned. Unfortunately for Ganondorf, Kallah wasn't brainwashed. Besides, he knew why District Five was currently a ghost town. He considered dropping Link a spiritual hint, but decided against it. The Resistance would have to figure this one out on their own. He couldn't always be there to save the day.

Kallah sighed, leaning against the balcony railing. The gentle wind breeze felt pleasant on his face. It would appear that his mother's shield had successfully hidden Link from Ganondorf's watch all these years. The destruction of the generator dealt a couple of major blows to Ganondorf's ego. Firstly, his favorite soldier defected to the Resistance. Secondly, the Hero's Spirit returned to save the day. Thirdly, he was no longer completely in control of Hyrule.

Thankfully, Ganondorf was completely unaware that Kallah aided the Resistance in battle. Either that, or he simply decided to ignore it. Kallah shook his head. That didn't matter for now.

_Well done, Link. What a fine hero you've become._

Link was blissfully unaware that Byrne died shortly after their victory. Kallah vowed to keep it that way. He knew he'd eventually have to tell Link about Byrne's death and his decision, but now wasn't the time. Link wasn't quite mature enough to handle that issue.

Kallah also wanted to shield his brother as much as he could from death.

Link was a protector. He fought in order to protect the ones he loved. Ideally, Link would not kill a soul. Link possessed a unique gift. He saw the good in everyone, be it man, woman, child, or even beast. His purity of heart would never allow him to take a life.

Unfortunately, that was only an ideal mindset. The real world was a much different story.

Ever since he was a young boy, Kallah was a killer. Ganondorf often employed his services when he was a student in the Academy. Because he feared for Link's safety, Kallah had no choice but to obey Ganondorf's every command. Kallah lost track of how many people he murdered. He had to forget. It was his only coping mechanism.

Link was still human. Byrne died a human.

Byrne.

Although Byrne's kill count was technically higher than Kallah's, Byrne was brainwashed for most of them. He murdered a family and their little girl before the brainwashing. Ganondorf influenced this action greatly, although Byrne still had full memory of that incident. That one bad deed shattered Byrne's spirit, his soul, and his heart.

How many has Kallah murdered without being brainwashed?

Sure, he was blackmailed by Ganondorf and had very little choice in the matter, but that didn't wholly excuse his actions. The human aspect was no longer there. It was a game of animals. Kallah was the hunter and the citizens of Hyrule were the hunted.

_I'm a monster._

Byrne told himself the same thing. Kallah collapsed on the ground, tears streaming down his face. Byrne was his hardest kill. Byrne took responsibility for his actions. He would rather die than be Ganondorf's puppet anymore.

_I'm so selfish. I just want to live. I don't want to die. I'm afraid._

Kallah's whole body shook. He wrapped his arms around himself trying to stop his shaking. Everyone told him how amazing he was. They told him that he was the bravest, most powerful soldier they'd ever seen. Kallah's spiritual energy was amazing. Everyone wanted to be him.

_Who would want to be me? I'm a murderous coward._

Images flashed before him, just like they did for Byrne hours before. He heard the screams of every single person he killed. After he killed, he just continued his day like nothing happened. As time went on and on, killing became easier. Now it was just part of the job.

Kallah grabbed his head, biting down on his lip so hard that it bled. Human life was precious. He couldn't bear if something happened to his little brother. Despite that fact, he killed brothers, sons, and fathers. He was the world's biggest hypocrite. Here he was, telling Byrne how he could become human when Kallah was the true monster.

Byrne was twice the human Kallah could ever dream to be.

Usually Kallah was extremely calm and composed. He rarely lost sight of his true heart. However, in killing Byrne, Kallah knew that he unlocked his inner darkness. His blue eyes returned to their crimson state as the memories continue to haunt the young warrior.

Crimson eyes. Red was the color associated with evil. Ganondorf was the only other spiritual energy user who possessed red spiritual energy. Kallah usually had a tremendous control of his spiritual energy, but as his emotional state deteriorated, so did his control. His cerise energy encased his shivering body.

An illusion of Ganondorf stood over him, extending his hand to the pained teenager. No. There was no way Kallah was going to give into Ganondorf's brainwashing. He couldn't give in, as tempting as it was. He owed it to Byrne to stay strong. Besides, how could he help Link if he was wallowing in his own self guilt? Link needed him to be strong. After the battle, then Kallah could collapse.

"Link," Kallah whispered aloud, fighting to regain control of his sanity. He tried to fill his mind with memories of his brother. Link reached for Kallah with his short, chubby baby arms. Kallah grasped for his brother, only for an image of a man he killed to get in the way.

"Link!" Kallah screamed, mentally fighting off the man and searching for his baby brother. His visions were once again filled with the people he murdered. Were they trying to get revenge on him? Were they purposely keeping him from thinking of his brother out of spite?

_Fight it, Kallah! I did! You can as well!_

That was Byrne. The soldier's spirit fought his way through the apparitions and desperately attempted to reach Kallah.

At this rate, Kallah was going to lose.

_**You can't give in! Hyrule needs you! I need you! **_

Kallah didn't recognize that voice. It was a female's voice, much gentler than Midna's usual harsh tone. Huh. Kallah didn't know any females outside of Midna and Princess Zelda. Eyes blurred from tears, Kallah looked towards the spiritual energy.

The user was the spirit of a beautiful young woman.

_Zelda? _

No, this woman was not the Princess. She appeared to be in her mid to late twenties. Whereas Zelda had golden blond hair, this woman's hair was a soft brown. Her eyes were a soft blue as opposed to Zelda's green. Other than those minor differences, she appeared to be an older Princess Zelda. Was he seeing a vision of the future Queen? No, her aura felt different than Zelda's…

_Who are you?_

The woman's eyes widened in shock. After a brief moment, her eyes welled with tears in sadness. She started to tentatively reach for him before pulling back in apparent despair. She opened her mouth to say something before deciding against it and moved away from him, tears streaming down her face.

_Wait! Don't go! I'm sorry!_

_**Erheart…you're the only one that can help him right now.**_

Kallah groaned, mental images once again assaulting his inner conscience. Who was that woman? Why did she seem so sad when he asked who she was? Was he supposed to know her?

_Why do I feel like I know you?_

A new voice interjected Kallah's mental turmoil.

_**You must never give up. Do not forget the reason why you're here.**_

That was a spiritual energy that Kallah hadn't felt in a very long time. Despite Kallah's emotional weariness, he recognized that voice. It felt so comforting and familiar.

_**Get up, my child. Look at me.**_

Kallah attempted to fight off the apparitions mentally before biting his right hand. His teeth dug deep into the flesh, the taste of blood sour on the tip of his tongue. His mental focus shifted to the sensation of pain, which allowed him temporary relief from the mental assault. Using this opportunity, Kallah concentrated on the light of humanity and his brother's pure heart, which caused Kallah's eyes to revert to their original serene blue color. Legs still shaking like jelly, Kallah pulled himself up by the balcony railing, finally releasing his hand. A bit calmer, he was able to look at the spirit before him straight in the eye.

The spirit before him was that of a middle-aged warrior. The man was sturdy with broad shoulders. A scar ran down his face, forcing his left eyelid shut. Scars covered his bodies, proof of his many battles. He was still dressed in the same captain's uniform that he died in. Despite his physically menacing appearance, the man's soft brown eyes were gentle. He smiled warmly towards the quivering teenager.

"Soldier Erheart," Kallah whispered under his breath.

The spirit gave a good-natured booming laugh.

_**Is that any way to address your old man?**_

Already Kallah felt the shaking in his legs subside. The power of light was incredible. It never ceased to drive away the darkness.

"Hello father." Kallah's voice was still hoarse from the emotional drain, but he managed a small smile. His father's presence was comforting. Kallah almost felt the absolute peace he enjoyed as a child while in his father's arms.

_**You must never forget the light that flows through your veins, Kallah. **_

"I try," Kallah said, clearing his dry throat with a cough. "It's hard sometimes though." Kallah looked downcast, unable to look at his father. Ever since Link's powers awakened, Kallah was placed with an immeasurable burden. It was a task he gladly accepted, but he couldn't deny the toll it took on both his body and spirit. Kallah always grinned and bore it for Link's sake. He never had any time to show weakness. He couldn't. Not while Link depended on him.

_**You needn't suffer alone.**_

"I can't trouble Link," Kallah spoke quietly. He still tasted the metallic salty blood that remained in his mouth. He spat out the blood on the ground, wiping his mouth. He sighed. "Link has enough to deal with on his own."

_**Who says you need to ask Link? Link is no longer your only companion.**_

Kallah snorted. "Sure, let me tell the people I've known for about five days all of my woes." Now that he thought about it, this madness only started a few days ago. It was so hard to believe that so little time passed.

He could tell Midna. No way in hell! Kallah shook his head furiously, erasing the thought completely from his mind. No way was he going to give her that ammunition. He was sure she'd gladly listen and even want to help him, but…

Kallah didn't want to burden her. She had enough troubles. He didn't want to worry her.

_Who the hell am I kidding? She wouldn't worry about me one bit._

Kallah smiled to himself. That was just like Midna.

Erheart sighed. Kallah could tell that his father was having an internal debate with himself. His father had a nasty habit of talking aloud, regardless of the situation. Sometimes he'd complain about Aria aloud, failing to realize she was right there. Aria always smacked his head with a frying pan in retaliation. Of course, everything was in good fun. His father's facial expressions were always amusing.

Kallah was almost completely in control of his senses again. It was nice to feel like himself again. His reflection in the glass plate of the balcony railing revealed bloodshot eyes, a sign that Kallah was beat tired. After talking to his father for a bit, he would get some much deserved z's. He had a busy day tomorrow.

_**Kallah, I think it's time you learned who you truly are.**_

Whatever Kallah expected the outcome of his father's internal argument to be, this wasn't it. Kallah raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. What was Erheart talking about? Kallah was Kallah. He was the son of the Captain of the Royal Guard, Erheart, and his wife, Aria. He was a proud big brother to Link. There was nothing more to discuss.

"I've never been brainwashed, father. I know exactly who I am. I'm your son."

Erheart smiled fondly at his son, reaching to ruffle Kallah's hair before remembering he was a spirit and could not physically react with the real world.

_**Of course you're my son, Kallah. But you're more than that. **_

Kallah was still confused. What was his father hiding from him? And why was he telling Kallah this now?

_**I understand that you're confused, my boy. All will be revealed to you in due time. I meant to tell you years ago, but you were too young when I left this world. Ganondorf's hold on Hyrule prevented me from seeing you. I could only wait until Link destroyed the first generator. With his power weakened, a handful of powerful spirits are allowed to return to this world. It was actually the spirit of a young soldier who asked me to come find you. Good man. I believe his name was Byrne.**_

_Thank you, Byrne._

_**Earlier, a spirit of a young woman appeared to you. I'm sure you're wondering who that woman is.**_

Kallah nodded. "She seemed so familiar," he admitted. "I've never seen her before, yet I couldn't help but feel that I know her." He shuddered, remembering the sad, desperate expression on the poor girl's face.

_**It's time that you learned the truth. However, instead of just telling you about it, I plan to show you. Are you mentally stable enough?**_

Kallah nodded, placing his left hand over his injured right one to stop the bleeding. Thanks to Erheart's help, the pain in Kallah's heart subsided and Kallah was completely in control of his spiritual energy. Although he was still confused by everything, Kallah was eager to see what Erheart had to show him.

Erheart gathered his spiritual energy, sending it straight towards his son. The impact knocked Kallah off his feet, his soul separating from his physical body momentarily as Erheart led him to the spirit realm and the world of his memories.

Things were about to happen.

* * *

Kallah opened his eyes, observing his new surroundings. He started to call out to his father, hesitating when he realized that his father was nowhere around. Kallah couldn't sense even a bit of Erheart's spiritual energy.

Kallah gasped aloud in shock, looking down to see himself transparent and floating in mid-air. If Kallah wasn't used to this type of spiritual energy stuff, he'd think he was turned into a ghost. He knew one thing was for sure: he was not presently in the real world. He was in the realm of spirits; more specifically, the spirit realm of the past. He had no idea how far back in time his father took him, but he was going to just wait and see.

"Sister, don't you think we should be doing something about this mess?" A girl called in a loud bratty voice. "The humans are dying here!" She was not very tall, a little shorter than Link, with dark green clothing and dark green hair pulled back into two large pigtails. Her eyes were large and a deep emerald color. She seemed very young and childish, although Kallah detected a strength of heart.

Another woman next to her, who Kallah presumed to be her sister, was much taller and lankier, her bright, fiery red hair long back in a high ponytail. Her sharp red eyes were narrowed in annoyance, probably with the mayhem that was occurring in the real world. She seemed to be drinking some sort of red wine. The wine sloshed against the corners of the glass as she twirled it in her fingers.

"They're always in trouble. Why should we help them? It's their fault."

The girls were watching what appeared to be some sort of glorified spiritual television set. A massive jar sat in between the shell couches and the screens. Kallah knew nothing about the spirit world, but he guessed that the vase served as some sort of portal between worlds.

So this was the spirit world. It certainly wasn't what Kallah was suspecting. He expected it to be more, well, spirit-like. This just seemed like modern technology in a parallel universe.

"You know, Din, this wouldn't have happened if you never blessed the humans with spiritual energy in the first place," a wiser voice spoke up. Kallah turned his attention to the last sister. She was medium in height, dressed in conservative clothing and her blue hair was pulled back into a braid. She had a wise, stern demeanor about her.

Wait a minute, did she just refer to the girl as Din? Din, as in the blessed almighty Goddess of Power?

These were the almighty Goddesses? Kallah suppressed a snort. They looked like glorified teenagers.

There were several theories regarding spiritual energy. In short, spiritual energy is a fancy term for the power of the spirits that a human possesses. The spiritual energy's strength is determined by a number of factors, the human's intelligence, strengths, and purity of heart. It is a combination of human and spirit forces. Most of the records attribute the early Kings and the Sheikah as the ones who discovered spiritual energy, but of course the Goddesses played a role in it.

"Come on, Nayru. You're such a wet blanket. They would have discovered it anyways. I just helped them along." Din mumbled, obviously not caring about the fate of humanity.

Kallah was never a huge believer in the Goddesses. Sure, he knew they were there, but he didn't worship the ground they walked on. He knew they had a purpose. They would help humanity when they felt like it, but for the most part the humans had to figure most of it out on their own. Still, he wished they showed a little more care for the fate of the human world.

"Nay, I want to help the humans," the girl in green, who Kallah assumed to be Farore, whimpered, clutching her sister's sleeve. "Look! This man is praying for us to save his dead wife and child!"

All three Goddesses turned to the screen as Kallah did likewise. He suppressed a gasp, unable to determine whether the Goddesses could detect his presence or not. The man on the screen was his father. Erheart was considerably smaller with fewer scars on his body, but Kallah could recognize his father any day. Erheart's face was soaked with tears. It was clear that the soldier had been crying. He was kneeling in front of the old Goddess statue. Before him, on the statue, was a baby boy. The baby was not crying and lay eerily still. Kallah looked away, unable to shake the sense of despair in his heart. He knew the baby was dead.

"Poor man," Farore sobbed. "His wife was so ill. Both she and the baby died in childbirth. I feel terrible. He seems like such a great guy."

"Wait a minute," Din said, getting up suddenly and wandering over to an old bookcase. "What's the guy's name?"

"Erheart," Nayru spoke quietly. "You don't need to research it, Din. I already know…"

"Shut up," Din growled. "I need to see it for myself." She thumbed through the pages ferociously, pausing all of a sudden. She gasped aloud, her mouth dropping open in an uncharacteristic gape. "Nayru! This man—he's supposed to father the reincarnation of the Hero…"

Kallah turned his attention back to the scene despite himself. His father's pain was his, and the whole thing was unbearable to witness. Erheart sent him back to this moment for a reason. Why would Erheart show Kallah this? Was Erheart trying to tell Kallah about his dead son? Kallah didn't even know that his parents had a stillborn.

Wait a minute, the Goddesses said that "his wife" died. That was impossible. Aria lived to give birth to both Kallah and Link. And what was this about fathering the reincarnation of the Hero? Did the Goddesses plan ahead of time that Link would be blessed with their power?

Duh, Kallah. They're Goddesses. They can essentially do whatever the hell they want.

Maybe Kallah was seeing Link's birth. He was only two at the time, so of course he didn't remember Link's birth. Maybe this was when Link received his power as the Hero's Spirit.

"We need to help him," Din said, suddenly becoming very serious. She continued to look through books before tossing them aside, muttering how that was Nayru's job. "This could throw off the entire balance of the human world. Their destined child isn't born yet."

Wait, 'destined child isn't born yet'? So that baby is not Link?

Hold up a second. Was that baby boy Kallah?

Kallah shook his head. After all of the wacky spiritual energy tricks he experienced, nothing seemed to faze him anymore. But this? This was something else. No one could revive the dead, no matter how powerful.

"We need to revive the mother," Farore said matter-of-factly. The seriousness of the situation seemed to mature the Goddess a wee bit.

"You know we can't," Nayru said. "It is against our laws to revive a human being from the dead. Besides, we couldn't perform the action even if we wanted to."

"We can't," Din muttered, brow narrowing in thought. "But that doesn't mean a human can't."

"Don't be ridiculous," Nayru snapped. "There's no human that has that kind of power."

"What about the Hero's Spirit?" Farore asked seriously. "The Hero's Spirit is just as powerful as one of us. He can do virtually anything."

Nayru shook her head, wagging her finger at her sister. "Have you been paying attention, Farore? The new Hero hasn't been born yet. It's impossible."

Din groaned, rubbing her fingers through her hair furiously. She laid against the couch, clearly deeply in thought. "What to do," she said exasperatedly. "The Hero has to be born to that couple specifically. I can't believe we let this happen."

"It's a troubling circumstance indeed," Nayru agreed, sighing deeply.

"You're not listening," Farore yelled, slapping her sisters lightly to get their attention. "I said the Hero's Spirit could revive her. I never said anything about the new one. Don't we already have a Hero?

"The original Hero….Farore, you're a genius!" Nayru cried, realizing what the other Goddess meant. She clapped her hands excitedly together, calling for another spirit to go fetch the original Hero.

The original Hero? What did he have to do with all of this? Kallah was still royally confused.

Wait a minute…

It was against all rules for the Goddesses to directly interfere with life and death. No matter how much they wanted to, they could not revive Aria and the baby themselves. However, there was a loophole. They could revive a human by placing the soul of a spirit within the corpse. For an example, they could place the original Hero's spirit into the baby. The baby, now imbued with the spirit of the Hero, would come back to life, not as the baby's original identity, but as the Hero reborn. With his revived powers, the Hero, now directly in the human world, could bring Aria back to life. That way, both are saved, and the Goddesses never directly interfere with life and death.

Kallah decided to follow the messenger to the Hero's area of the spirit realm. It was a gut feeling, but Kallah trusted it. After all, Kallah's intuition was always spot on.

It was time to meet the Hero.

* * *

Huh. The original Hero had a nice place. It was a little too tropical for Kallah's tastes, but hey, to each his own. He'd actually never seen a tropical beach. When he was a child, he told his mother than he wanted to go visit the sea. Aria promised her little boy that one day she'd take him to play in the waves and feel the salty wind on his face. There was something about the sea that seemed so peaceful.

_Maybe I like the palm trees after all._

Kallah ducked behind one of the many palm trees while the messenger went and alerted the figure on the hammock.

"Miss Zelda, is your husband around?" the messenger asked in a mechanical, tinny voice. It was some sort of machine bird. Kallah shook his head. It still made sense, but the idea of the Goddesses using modern technology was just weird no matter how he looked at it.

Hold the cuckoos. Miss Zelda? Her husband? If Kallah were to use common sense, 'Miss Zelda' was most likely the original Princess of Destiny. Did she really marry the original Hero? Obviously the two knew each other, but Kallah was always under the impression that the war happened when they were both children. Maybe after that they decided to get busy.

"Of course he is. He's playing in the waves like the little child he is," Zelda giggling, sitting up in the hammock.

That voice was familiar. Kallah knew he heard it before. She had the same voice as the woman who appeared to him earlier during his hallucinations. Kallah strained his eyes, trying to get a glimpse of this Zelda.

He was unable to hide his gasp of surprise. She looked exactly like the woman that appeared to him earlier in the day.

Was the original Princess of Destiny really the same person from earlier?

"Link!" Zelda called, wandering into the waves. "Dear, the Goddesses are calling for you."

Link? Wait a sec, the original Hero's name was also Link? Weird. Well, given that the original Princess of Destiny was called Zelda, Kallah guessed that it made sense. It was still weird seeing a middle aged man with the same name as his brother.

"Tell them to fix the problem themselves," Link responded, mischievously splashing his wife with ocean water. Zelda yelped, putting her arm up as a shield. He laughed, pulling Zelda into a bear hug and kissing her on her neck.

"Enough, you big rogue," Zelda said with a twinkle in her eye, slapping him playfully on the arm. "Go see what they want."

"Of course, Your Highness," Link said with a smirk, giving her a mock bow. Zelda laughed again, dumping a bucket of saltwater on him.

Link choked on the saltwater, hacking as water went up his nose. Zelda giggled maniacally, rubbing his back comfortingly and kissing his cheek gently.

Kallah smiled. The two were clearly in love and definitely enjoying each other's company. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous of both of them. They got to spend their eternal spiritual rest on a beach playing in the waves.

Both Link and Zelda appeared to be the same age, somewhere in their mid-thirties. Kallah wasn't sure if that was how old they were when they died or that was simply the age they chose for their spiritual form, if one could do that. Hey, it seemed like anything was possible.

Kallah turned his attention to Link. His attention had been focused on Zelda (could you blame him?) but he wanted to look at the original Hero. Link wasn't the biggest guy around, he was a little bigger than Kallah, but he was built. Link's body, much like Erheart's, was covered in battle scars. Kallah noticed a particular nasty one on his right arm. Drawing his eyes away from the Hero's war wounds, Kallah observed his manner. Just like with Zelda, something seemed familiar about Link.

Link glanced in Kallah's direction. Kallah ducked behind the tree again just in case. It was then that Kallah noticed something extremely strange.

Link's eyes…they were Kallah's.

"Hey sweetheart," Link said, taking his wife's hand and kissing it gently. "Can you do me a favor and wash my old tunic for me?"

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "That dusty old thing? I like a man in a uniform just fine, but come on, Link."

"Please?" He asked, giving Zelda the puppy-dog eyes. "I'll love you forever."

Zelda slapped him playfully again, sticking her tongue out at him. "Fine, you big baby. You'd better love me regardless!"

"Of course I do!" He sang in a sing-songy sweet voice. When Zelda left, Link put on a shirt and turned towards the Goddesses' messenger. "Let's go," he said in a low voice, much more serious than the playful tone he used with Zelda.

It was as if Link knew what was about to happen.

"Are you sure, Sir Link? You do realize that—"

"I may never see her again? Of course I do, birdy. I may no longer the Hero, but I still have plenty of my powers remaining. I knew this day would come some day."

Kallah looked downcast. He pitied Link, having to give up his eternal happiness with his loving wife because the Goddesses needed him. Kallah shook his head. Now was not the time to feel pity for the original Hero. Hyrule needed his help. It was his duty as the Hero.

_It's as if the Hero's pain is mine._

It was still weird looking at his own eyes.

"Don't you want to…" the messenger continued, cut off with a wave from the Hero's hand.

"No," Link said. "It's better I don't tell her. If I did, well, I don't think I'd leave at all."

Link took one last glance back towards the ocean waves. He picked up a shell necklace, presumably Zelda's, and hooked it around his neck. After smelling the salty breeze one last time, Link followed the mechanical messenger bird out of his spiritual paradise.

As Kallah followed, he could've sworn he heard Zelda's voice calling for Link.

* * *

"You called, my almighty Goddesses?"

Kallah snuck behind a vase. They were back in the Goddesses' room. Erheart was still crying and pleading before the statue. Kallah had a sneaking suspicion that very little time passed in the real world. The original Hero Link stood in front of the Goddesses, still in his swim trunks. He was apparently on a friendly basis with the Goddesses. After all, the original Hero was rumored to essentially be a child of the Goddesses.

"There's trouble in the human world, Link. We need you to save the world again," Nayru explained calmly.

Well, that was quick and to the point. The Goddesses seemed to be completely different than they were before. Maybe these were their game faces.

"It's not my time," Link responded. "I already saved the world once. It's time for a new hero to rise."

"We know that," Din said. "We're not asking you to be the Hero again. We just need you to assist the future Hero and protect him as he grows up."

"You placed the Hero's Spirit in a child again? Didn't you learn from your mistake with me? I had no idea what I was doing until about ten years later."

Kallah was awed at how blunt the Hero was being with the Goddesses. He didn't seem to revere them at all. There was a mutual respect among all parties, but the Hero definitely held his own. Well, in terms of power, the Hero was the only one close to the Goddesses.

"The new Hero hasn't even been born yet," Nayru said. "That's the problem."

"Even better," Link mumbled sarcastically.

"Link, this is serious," Farore said, taking Link's hand and leading him over to the screen. "Do you see this man? His child and wife are dead. This is the family that is destined to bear the next Hero."

"Poor man," Link spoke quietly. Kallah could feel a tug at Link's heartstrings. He could tell that the Hero genuinely pitied Erheart and his situation.

"Link, I thought you should know," Din said. "His dead wife is named Aria."

Link's eyes widened. "Aria?" He asked incredulously.

"The name was passed down through generations even after the dynastic switch," Nayru spoke up. "She was named after Lady Aria, Queen of Hyrule. Aria was your daughter, was she not?"

"Yes," Link said, his voice barely above a whisper. "After Zelda's death, Leo was in line to ascend to the throne. Leo was my son, thick and thin, and he deferred his chance to Aria. Aria continued her mother's work and Hyrule began to prosper again."

Since the original Zelda's reign, there had been a total of five dynasty changes. After a few prosperous reigns, the King and Queen gave birth to three daughters. Although it became custom for the females to inherit the throne thanks to Zelda's leadership, they still had to marry a male to rule as King. Unfortunately, the King wanted more power and didn't like being second best, so he murdered the young Queen. Thankfully, the two other princesses managed to escape, allowing their lineage to continue.

"While this man is not a descendant of yours, his wife is. If you wish to save your family line, you'll agree to be reincarnated in the human world."

Kallah clenched his teeth despite himself. He knew what Link needed to do, but that didn't make the situation any more right. The Goddesses practically blackmailed Link into doing their bidding. No matter what the cause, that wasn't right.

_**Leo…Aria…I'm so sorry I never got to see you grow up. I love you, my children. **_

"Tell me what I need to do," Link responded, banishing all emotional thoughts from his mind. Kallah could feel the Hero's spiritual energy shift as Link became imbued with confidence and determination to save Aria and the baby.

"You are to be reincarnated as Erheart's son. In a couple of years, the new Hero will be born. It's your job to shield him from harm and protect him. When he discovers his destiny, you must guide him."

Link nodded. "Anything else?"

"Naturally," Nayru continued. "In order not to upset the delicate order of balance, you will not retain the same power when you were Hero. Your power will be greatly diminished. However, you should have more than enough energy to complete your task. Also, as with any reincarnation, you will be initially unaware of your identity. It's possible that you may never regain your lost memory. If it is the will of fate, your identity as the original Hero will be revealed to you."

"I've got it. I lose my memory, half my power, and have to save the world. You don't like making things easy for me, do you?" Link stretched, turning to walk out of the room.

"Link," Farore said quietly. "We're sorry. We never intended to take you from Zelda."

Link smiled, although his backs were facing the Goddesses. "Who said anything about taking her from me? I may never see her again, but my love for her will always remain." He kissed his shell necklace, facing the Goddesses again and standing in front of the mysterious pot. As he climbed in, he glanced towards Kallah's direction.

Crap. Kallah was no longer floating behind the vase. He was in plain sight. Hopefully he really was a ghost and couldn't be seen in the spirit realm.

Somehow Kallah didn't think he was that lucky.

Sure enough, Link gave another genuine smile and winked in Kallah's direction. "So, this is who I become, huh? Maybe Hyrule does have a chance after all."

"Link!" Zelda ran into the room, tears streaming down her face. She must have known Link's fate. Link smiled at her, gave her a thumbs-up as his image began to fade.

Kallah opened his mouth to reply, but the original Hero began to dissipate into nothing as his soul was transferred into the human realm. Zelda screamed, running over to the vase and desperately trying to jump in after him. The Goddesses restrained Zelda, telling her that she couldn't follow him even if they wanted her to. Zelda continued to hysterically call her husband's name, pleading for him to return to her. Even though she knew it was futile, she fought to see him again anyways.

Within a few moments, the baby in the real world began to cry. The Goddesses smiled. Erheart picked up his child, sobbing with joy and incoherently babbling his thanks to the Goddesses for their blessing.

The child's eyes were a sharp blue.

Erheart kissed his baby's forehead, clutching the child tightly to his chest.

"I'll never let you go, Kallah."

Blackness took Kallah again.

* * *

_**Kallah, my boy, are you awake?**_

Kallah rubbed his eyes, groggily pulling himself up off the ground.

Okay, what the hell just happened?

Kallah had a few ideas. Firstly, he saw the Goddesses talk about how Aria was destined to carry the new Hero. Secondly, Kallah met the Hero and his wife, the original Zelda and Princess of Destiny. Thirdly, Kallah discovered that he was in fact Link, the original Hero, reborn.

It was funny…although the whole thing seemed totally seemed crazy, it was as if Kallah knew all along. The more he thought about it, the more memories came flooding back to him. Suddenly, he had another thirty plus years of memories that he could recall. He remembered his old battles and how he originally saved Hyrule.

Most importantly, he remembered her.

Zelda.

Just like his brother Link wasn't him, the current Zelda was not his Zelda. The current Zelda wasn't even related to the original Princess of Destiny. The current Zelda was a descendant of the current royal family where his Zelda was the founder of the first dynasty.

Kallah shook his head. Even though he knew exactly who he was referring to, calling them both Zelda was darn confusing. Maybe he should give one of them a nickname. Well, he always liked to call his Zelda "Zel", although he'd already heard Link refer to the current princess as that. Oh well. That was a trivial matter.

Kallah felt different. With his added memory came added experience. A few hours ago he was barely maintaining control of his spiritual energy. Now he had it well under control. Sure, he was the same ol' Kallah, but he was back and better than ever.

Kallah grinned despite himself.

_Look at me. I'm still a hotshot braggart. Even without my memory, I didn't change whatsoever._

"Thank you," Kallah said out loud to Erheart. He was eternally grateful to Erheart. Even now, when Kallah was fully grown and his memories restored, Erheart would continue to support him. "Thank you for reminding me who I truly am."

_**I'm glad to finally reveal this secret to you. **_

"You needn't worry about me anymore," Kallah spoke with maturity beyond his eighteen years. "I can handle it from here. I promise you, I will always protect your son."

_**Thank you. He'll need your guidance, Link.**_

Kallah shook his head with a small chuckle. Even if it was his real name, it was still weird to hear. "Kallah," he corrected. "My little brother is the only Link right now. Besides, I kind of like the name."

_**Kallah it is, then. Thank you.**_

Kallah gave his father a small salute, starting to walk back into the house. Now filled with energy, he headed back towards the house.

_**Even though I knew from the start you were the Hero reborn, I always thought of you as my own son. I will always be your father, Kallah. I love you.**_

"I love you too, Dad," Kallah spoke, letting a tear slide down his face. Unless he re-entered the spirit world, he'd probably never see Erheart again. Kallah knew one thing: people may come and go, but the memories one shares lasts a lifetime. Even if Kallah did return to the spirit world, he'd probably return to a different section than Erheart. No matter. Erheart would always be in Kallah's heart.

"Look at you. So you're the original Hero. Isn't that fancy?"

Midna. When did she get here?

"Midna," Kallah said, eyes widening from the shock. How much of that did she overhear? Did she witness Kallah's emotional breakdown earlier?

Kallah hoped not. He never wanted Midna to worry about him. He could never put Midna through that.

_Link…_

Zelda. No, this wasn't right. Kallah shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Zelda was his wife. She was waiting for him to return to the spirit world. She even appeared to him when he was struggling.

Then there was Midna. Because he didn't know about Zelda before, Kallah developed strong feelings for the shadow user.

_Would I have fallen for Midna if I knew about Zelda anyway?_

Kallah didn't know the answer.

"Yo, Kallah. Just because you're now officially a big-time hotshot doesn't give you the right to ignore little ol' me," Midna said, walking over to Kallah and reaching out to place her hand on his shoulder. Kallah flinched. Midna pulled her hand back, clearly hurt by Kallah's reaction.

_No! I can't! Zelda…_

"Midna, I'm so sorry," Kallah whispered, pulling his hood back up and lowering his head. "I need to be alone right now."

"Kallah…" Midna's voice was filled with hurt. Kallah bit his lip angrily. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. Why was this so complicated? Couldn't he love both women at the same time?

No, that was selfish, and Kallah knew that.

Saving the world was a piece of cake. He was Kallah, original Hero, and he'd done it before. Now, love? That was a completely different story.

* * *

**A/N**

**There we have it, folks! Kallah's identity is finally revealed! He is the original Link and the Hero reborn. :) For simplicity reasons, I'll continue to call him Kallah. I mean, can you imagine "current Link" and "original Link" throughout the story? Whoa. I was confused just with the "current Zelda" versus "original Zelda" passage. xD**

**(added A/N after chapter release)  
**

**I realize this chapter can be a bit confusing, so I want to elaborate on a few things before I continue. :) Link is the possessor the Hero's Spirit. In this universe, the "Hero's Spirit" works an awful lot like the Triforce of Courage. It's the name of the power itself. Like the Triforce of Courage, the "Hero's Spirit" is a goddess-given power. When the original Hero died, his power as the Hero's Spirit was no more. He does retain most of his power in his reincarnated state, but due to its incomplete state it's not the true Hero's Spirit. :) Hopefully that clears some things up! **

**I tried for awhile to fit my Links into the canon timeline, but couldn't really find an answer I wanted. In this universe, there have only been two heroes: Kallah and Link. You're welcome to give your ideas where you think they fit into the timeline. I'd love to hear your thoughts. :) **

******That being said, Kallah and I are asking for your help! What would you like to name original Zelda? She needs a cute nickname. :) Any suggestions are welcome!**

**Shameless plug, but I will be updating my blog regularly with writer's updates, behind the cover segments, and anything Zelda. You can check out my blog at skywardprincessoftime . blogspot . com . :) **

**Looks like we have a little love triangle going on here! I wonder how this is going to play out. ;) **

**Next chapter we return to the Resistance and the Battle for District Five!**

**Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! I hope you continue to review and enjoy the story. :) **

**Thanks so much again and I'll see you all in the next chapter! **


	9. Partner

**Hello! This chapter is long overdue. Sorry guys! I just got distracted by various things and haven't been on FFN that much. Not to mention I wanted to make some minor changes to this story, and then, well…anyways. My sincerest apologies.**

**I'll update you all when they come, but the biggest change so far (with no actual change to the story, just to make it a little more clear) is the name change of the power "Hero's Spirit" to "Hero's Courage". I figured since there are now our two heroes, it would be less confusing. Makes a heck of a lot more sense. xD**

**Thank you all who have been loyal readers and reviewers and putting up with my distractible self! I really appreciate all of you! Please don't hesitate to send me PMs about anything, I really just get distracted. I always have good intentions and I've been meaning to get back into this for awhile.**

**Now, without any further ado…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did, well… xD  
**_**Ascension **_**is rated "T" for language, romance, and action sequences.**

* * *

_**Partner**_

_What's with him?_

Ugh. The rudeness and insensibility of men. Midna couldn't stand it. Ever since Kallah returned from District Five, he was acting like a loner. Not that he didn't usually act like a loner, but this was slightly ridiculous. He wasn't saying a word, just staring out at the city skyline with a melancholy look on his face. What the heck happened in the battle?

From his report, Midna knew that Kallah killed Byrne out of mercy, which had to be incredibly hard for him, but there was something else. Some spirit approached him and told him that he was the reincarnation of the Original Hero or something like that. She didn't get the specifics. But then again, nobody probably knew the specifics, not even Kallah himself. Anyways, he was giving her the cold shoulder and it quite frankly pissed her off.

"Lovely weather we're having today," Midna commented sarcastically. Not like the weather ever changed.

Kallah didn't answer. He might have given a "mhhhmmm" in there, but other than that, nothing.

Midna gave up on the small talk. It was worthless anyways. Hence the name "small talk".

"Why won't you tell me what's bothering you?" Midna finally asked. "I just want to know what's going on. I…just want to make sure you're okay."

Well, now now, Midna. Look at that. Admitting you were worried. Midna shook her head, chiding the mental voice in her head and blushing furiously. Kallah was a comrade, a business partner. He was vital to the mission. Yeah, that was it. Of course Midna would be concerned for his safety.

Pah. As if, girl.

Still no response. Midna could tell the wheels in Kallah's head were turning, but still, what man completely ignores a pretty girl when she pours her heart out? Come on.

"Kallah," Midna repeated, reaching out to touch his shoulder. Was it too straightforward? Nonsense. They'd touched multiple times. Friends touch each other too, right? Just…not in those places. The shoulder was okay. Just a friendly gesture.

Kallah turned, brushing past her without as much as a thought.

"The battle is about to begin," he finally said quietly. "I must go."

Midna sighed, watching him briskly leave. Hurt filled her like she'd never expected. One minute she and Kallah were fine and the next minute he acted distant and cold like he didn't know her at all.

"Be careful," she whispered.

He was already gone.

* * *

"So, Anjean, where the hell is everyone? It's like a ghost town here."

Sheik, Zelda, and Impa followed Anjean through the deserted streets of District Five. Sheik found it hard to believe that Anjean's students were ghosts, so there had to be someone _somewhere_.

"District Five is a peaceful place," Anjean said quietly. "We have many innocent women and children. After the war was over, I thought this would be a perfect place to hide many gifted children with high spiritual energy levels. I never thought we would be attacked, but in case we were, we developed a system of highly-developed underground tunnels."

"Oh. That makes sense." It also made sense why the smell was getting worse and everything was getting darker. Anjean was leading them through a tunnel that Sheik suspected was originally a sewer.

What was with heroes always going through the sewers to elude the bad guys? Maybe the bad guys never expected the heroes to be that stupid.

See, heroes _are _that stupid. Fools 'em every time.

"We're here," Anjean announced.

Sheik couldn't hide his gasps.

In front of them was a giant city. Sheik couldn't believe his eyes. A metropolis? Here? The streets were loaded with women and children. A particular woman pulled her chubby son through the crowd, stumbling on a rock and spilling her groceries everywhere. Another woman approached and helped her, laughing lightly.

They certainly didn't seem brainwashed…

"They're not," Zelda answered his mental question aloud with a huge grin on her face. "None of these people are brainwashed."

"Was it like this before Link destroyed the generator?" Impa asked Anjean. Impa seemed both pleased and suspicious at the same time. Sheik sighed. What a pessimist. Oh well, it was part of her charm.

Anjean shook her head, obviously content with what she saw too. "No," she said. "Although living underground did help loosen the brainwashing. None of District Five's citizens were fully brainwashed, which is why destroying the generator was so successful."

This was great. An underground haven for innocent women and children to come and live in peace. They wouldn't be bothered here.

That is, if Link, Sheik, Impa, and Zelda didn't allow it to be destroyed tomorrow. There was still a battle to be won. The Resistance needed to convince Ganondorf that all of the people still lived above ground.

Four people, five if that cloaked creep decided to help out, against an entire army.

What lovely odds.

"Uh, I hate to be a downer, but are there any males here?" Sheik asked.

"What? Too much estrogen?" Zelda teased lightly before realizing that Sheik had a point.

Anjean only laughed. "Of course, dear. They're working. Now, our male population is a bit small compared to the rest of the country, but they're good men."

"Any able to fight?"

Silence. Anjean knew that question was coming. It must be hard for the elderly caretaker. Every member of District Five was like a child to her. No one wanted to send them to war. There would be casualties.

"Yes," Anjean finally answered. "I'll gather every able-body man and meet you at eight o'clock tonight. Firstly, let me lead you to your rooms. You must be tired."

"Thank you," Impa replied, bowing low. "Let us get some rest, my Princess." She turned back. Zelda was still standing at the entrance. Zelda stared longingly as if hoping a certain someone would come running through the cave.

"He's fine," Sheik said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We all still feel his presence. I'm sure he got distracted by something. You know how ADD that child is."

"I know," Zelda answered, touching Sheik's hand for comfort. "I just…I miss him."

Sheik laughed. "It's been what, two hours? Relax."

"It's been a little longer than that," Impa shot Sheik a warning glare. "But still," she added in a much nicer tone, "I'm sure Link is fine. He'll be here soon."

"He already is in good hands, my Princess," Anjean spoke up. "You'll see him soon."

Sheik laughed lightly. Link wasn't winning any brownie points.

He should know better than to keep a pretty girl waiting.

* * *

Uh…now where was he?

Too bad spiritual energy didn't come with a map. Actually, there probably was a way, but Link was too tired to find out. He wasn't tired from the battle, no, that was nothing, but he was exhausted from wandering around a ghost town. He had to be going in circles.

How nice of Zelda, Impa, and Sheik to just leave him at the generator facility. The least they could've done was left him a note.

The young hero sighed, looking up at a strange building with a rather unflattering picture of Ganondorf on it. Not that Ganondorf was ever flattering, but it almost looked like the dear leader was attempting to be sexual in the picture. Ugh. What girl would ever spend time alone with him? He would only get girls if they were brainwashed.

Oh, right.

Link sighed, collapsing in front of the building and resting his head on the palm of his hands. It was kind of cold, too. Link was dressed for summer weather. This place was chilly, although he wasn't sure if it was the temperature, the atmosphere or the strange fog that permeated the ghost town.

Link chewed the inside of his lip thoughtfully. Well, whenever he got lost or didn't know what to do, Kallah always told him to sit down, relax, close his eyes, and count to ten. As childish and basic as it seemed, it always worked.

"Do you need some directions?"

Huh? Link jerked out of his mini trance. He hadn't noticed another presence. Well, that was slightly discouraging. He still had that concentration problem at the very least. She didn't seem harmless. Then again, there was a high possibility that she was a ghost.

_**A "ghost town" is an expression, you moron. It doesn't mean there are actual ghosts.**_

Why could he always hear Kallah's voice in his head during times like this?

Link sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I got separated from my friends. I don't necessarily know where they are, either…" he finally looked up at the direction of the other voice.

Wait a minute…

"Zelda?" he asked instinctively.

The girl laughed. "No," she corrected. "But I've always been told I resemble the princess of legend. It's quite a compliment." She grinned, twirling her brown hair on her finger.

She was right, she wasn't Zelda. Link knew that, yet for some reason he couldn't help but think it really was her. Their presences were just so similar, so familiar, and so calming. Physically, the differences were definitely there. Although that smile seemed hauntingly similar, this girl was probably around Kallah's age, if not a little older. She had brown hair opposed to Zelda's golden, and bright blue eyes. His Zelda had green.

"What's your name?" Link asked.

He almost expected her to say Zelda.

"My name is Eliana," she said. "All my friends call me Ellie though. Are you looking for the true District Five, my child?"

True District Five? And what was this 'my child' bit? She was only a few years older than him at best.

Something was weird. Something wasn't quite right. She didn't seem brainwashed, that was okay seeing as Link just destroyed the generator, but she seemed…otherworldly.

He could hear Kallah slamming his head against the desk.

Link huffed, internally yelling at his brother that something was off and he knew it. It was almost like the strange guy in a cloak from earlier. Link couldn't get an accurate read on him either, but he could tell that the guy was friendly. This girl certainly didn't seem harmful. He decided to trust her.

"Thanks. I would really appreciate it if you could show me the way."

Eliana offered a hand to him. Link took her hand. Her grasp was soft and gentle, but a little firmer than his Zelda's was. Link shook his head. Why did he keep comparing the two?

"So, Eliana, what are you doing here?" Link asked, letting her lead the way. She was still pulling his hand. He was curious, although he didn't think she'd divulge the truth. He also hated walking in silence. A pet peeve of his. Silence was just so..._boring_.

"Most of District Five is underground," she responded, turning back and giving him a little wink. Link gave an instinctive blush despite himself. "I like coming out and tasting the fresh air once and awhile. Besides, I've told myself for a long time that I'm going to leave this district."

"Underground? So that's where everyone is?" Link cried aloud in shock, covering his mouth with his free hand when he realized how loud he'd just said that. Dumb, dumb, _dumb _Link. Way to give away their hiding spot.

Eliana laughed. "There's no one who can hear us here," she assured him. "Although I'd recommend keeping important secrets internal next time."

Link nodded, turning an even deeper shade of red. Why was he so nervous around her?

_Because she's just like Zelda._

"My father is the mayor of District Five," Eliana continued. "Naturally, he wants me to inherit the position and never leave. Don't get me wrong, I love it here, but I want to travel the world. I want to be free."

"I hope one day you can," Link said, seeing the sparkle in her eye when she talked about traveling. "But for now, I'd recommend staying here. We just destroyed the generator, freeing everyone in this district. However, the other districts are still in trouble. I promise you, soon all of Hyrule will be free and you can go wherever you'd like."

Eliana giggled, giving his hand a light squeeze. "You're certainly sure of yourself, aren't you Mister Hero? I suppose you have the right to be, because you will make good on your promise, I know it. Still, I'm an impatient person and I don't like to wait. Besides, brainwashing never affected me."

See, this was why Link thought she was otherworldly. Not just the fact she could resist brainwashing, but because it seemed like she knew things beyond her years. Eliana was eighteen years old at most. She sounded like she was an old woman at times. How did she know Link was the Hero? He didn't tell her and he always kept a strong guard on his identity. She hadn't used her spiritual energy…did she?

"My spiritual energy is a bit different than most," she said as if she could read his mind. "Let's just leave it at that. I mean you no harm, I assure you. In fact, I only want to help you—that is, if I'm properly compensated, of course."

Well that was an odd way of saying she wanted to be part of the Resistance.

"You want to join the Resistance?" Link asked aloud. He was going to say something noble about how women shouldn't be on the battlefield, but he remembered that the Resistance was half women anyways. Not to mention that she seemed like she could hold her own in a fight. They could always use more allies.

"No noble speech about women not belonging on the battlefield? Seems like you know better," she teased. "Yes, I would love to be a part of the Resistance. However…" she paused. "I do expect to be properly compensated."

Right. Payment. Well, it made sense, Link guessed. He didn't know the finances of the Resistance, but Zelda was the daughter of the royal family. Her father had to have left a hidden stash for her to live off of. She didn't seem poor. Link, due to Kallah's income, wasn't poor either, although he hated to throw away Kallah's money like that.

"Uh…how much do you want?"

Link was a horrible negotiator. He really shouldn't be deciding these things in the first place. This was Zelda's job. He just had a sinking feeling that Eliana would leave before he reached the rest of the Resistance if he didn't make a deal with her. He…didn't want her to go.

Eliana burst out laughing, resting her hands on her knees.

Yep, Link definitely wasn't good at this part.

"I'm sorry," she said, wiping a tear of joy out of her eye. "I don't mean to make fun of you. I don't want any payment. That is, I don't want anything of material value."

"Well, what do you want then?" Link asked dumbfounded. He was royally confused.

"I want you to help me find someone," Eliana said. "Don't worry, I'll help you until the rightful Princess is back on her throne, regardless of when we find the person I'm looking for. Oh, and I'd prefer if you kept this little deal a secret between you and me."

Link's earlier gut feeling that Eliana would only bargain with him was correct. But really. That's what she wanted? Link sighed. He didn't get this at all. Sure, it made sense, seeing as Eliana never left District Five, but still. Link couldn't shake the feeling that she already knew exactly where the person she was looking for was.

Oh well.

"Sure," Link agreed. "I promise. If you don't mind, if it's not too personal, can I ask you who? After all, I am supposed to be helping you search."

She dropped his hand, moving to look towards the sky. Between the fog and the purple haze, one could barely make out the setting sun's shadow. She looked down, placing her hand over her heart. Link could see her longing for someone.

Eliana glanced towards the young hero. Instead of the jubilant, mischievous twinkle in her eye, she looked miserable. Link could feel their energies connecting and becoming one. The pull on his heartstrings was so powerful that it almost brought tears to his eyes.

"I want you to help me find my husband. I'm sorry for making you keep this secret, but…you're the only person I can truly trust."

Normally, Link would wonder what the heck a teenager like her was doing married at such a young age, but her request was so sincere that Link hardly was in the place to question it. Instead, he nodded, sending a wave of his spiritual energy at her, assuring her of his promise.

"I promise. I will help you find him no matter what the cost," he said both internally and aloud.

"Thank you," Eliana said, taking his hand again. She smiled brightly. "You really are a good person. I could tell when our energies connected."

Link nodded, unsure of what to say. How could he? 'Oh, yeah, I'm the nicest person around. Thanks.' He really didn't think he was as noble as everyone claimed, but whatever. Might as well let bygones be bygones.

"Do you mind telling me his name or what he looks like?"

"Of course," she said, giggling, her cheery mood returning. After her giggle fit was over, she stared straight into Link's eyes with a strong, serious look.

"His name is Link."

* * *

**A/N**

**That was a short chapter (well, for me) but that was such a perfect place to end it that I couldn't resist. I'm working on the next chapter as we speak. I keep saying the battle is another chapter away, but then I keep having more stuff to address that I expect will only take a couple paragraphs, and then ten pages later… xD I also wanted to get something out to you now. Couldn't keep you waiting any longer. :) **

**We have a new member of our Resistance, Eliana! The females now outnumber the males. This should be interesting…**

**Thank you so, so much for bearing with this lazy author. Again, don't hesitate to contact me if this (hopefully it doesn't, but with me you never know) happens again.**

**Please leave a review! Reviews make my day. :)**

**Thank you all so much for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	10. Passion

**Hello everyone! Ah I'm so glad to be back. I know you're all saying "Spot…you've been saying that for the past 3 chapters…" but I mean it seriously this time. xD I graduated from college on Saturday, so no more academic hold-ups. Seriously, I had a 40 page paper, a 25 page paper, and a 10 page paper all due within 2 weeks. Last semester was NOT fun. (Fun fact: I'm actually not an English or Writing major. xD) But now I have all the time (like I did last summer) to write! I don't know how much I'll be able to write when I teach abroad in China, so I'm gonna crank out as much as I can this summer for everyone. :) I'm also gonna become more involved on this site again, I've kinda neglected it. xD**

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! It makes my heart fill with daisies and butterflies. :) There were some really helpful reviews—please continue to leave me constructive criticism, as it greatly improves my writing. You learn by doing and making mistakes. :) I'll try to respond individually to the reviews this week. :D **

**A/N: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did… xD  
**_**Ascension **_**is rated "T" for mild language and violence.**

* * *

_**Passion**_

Eliana stared down at the village gathering below her. Every member of District Five was crammed in the courtyard located in the heart of the underground city, well, everyone except her. She was certain a couple of other members were playing hooky too. She probably should have checked with her father before she made the promise to join the Resistance, but regardless of what Link had said to her, she would have followed them anyways.

She may have tested him a little bit. Besides, she was sick of this life. She was grateful to her father for being a wonderful parent and giving her a privileged life, but this role she played…it wasn't her. She couldn't wait to drop the act and finally be herself again.

Link was a sweet boy. Maybe a little dense and oblivious, but Eliana was positive that Link was a lot smarter than he acted. His energy was warm and his heart was pure. Hyrule was in good hands. Eliana was going to help Hyrule too, of course she couldn't let the country she loved down, but Eliana's motivation for joining the Resistance was purely selfish.

Link's reaction was priceless. After Eliana told him her husband's name, Link adorably believed that Eliana wanted Link himself as a husband. It was so cute, watching Link blush and attempt to come up with a polite refusal that Eliana didn't dare correct him until he finally responded that he was in love with another. Even then, she didn't think Link understood the situation. Of course Eliana saw the love Link had for Zelda, the Princess of Destiny. Anyone with half a brain could see that. It must be natural for any Link to love his Zelda. That was true, wasn't it? Her Link still loved her, right?

_Who are you?_

It stung.

She had to see him again.

She didn't just want to see him. She yearned to be by his side again. His embrace was so warm and gentle. His heart was so pure, just like Link's. She wanted her husband to hold her in his arms, stroking her hair and telling her that everything was going to be all right.

She knew what it was like to be torn away from him. When she finally achieved spiritual rest, she vowed for it never to happen again. But no, then the Goddesses had to screw up and take him away from her again. Eliana cursed under her breath. He always paid the price for those mistakes. As much as she was grateful to the Goddesses for everything that they did for Hyrule, she was angry at them too. It may be a struggle, but she was going to reunite with her Link and that was that.

Below her, District Five called upon every able body to fight. Zelda was the leader of the operation, as she rightly should be. Eliana liked the fight Zelda had in her. The girl was a bit naïve, just like Link, but she had a strong spirit and wasn't about to let anything get in her way. She would certainly bring about a golden age. Eliana would assist here and there but doubted Zelda really needed her help. At least, she hoped Zelda didn't need her help. Yes, she'd let Zelda figure it all out on her own, just like Eliana had to do everything by herself.

The citizens of District Five bowed before Link, the Hero. The boy blushed, mumbled some nonsense about being an ordinary child, and quickly looked for Zelda to save him. She only laughed. Eliana had to smile too. It was nice that District Five's citizens were having a short reprieve before the fight of their lives.

They managed to recruit an army of about two hundred men. That was hardly enough, but it would have to do. Just in case the fight was devastating, District Five couldn't lose all their men, especially since there were so few. Sheik and Impa, Zelda's assistants, began passing out weapons as Zelda detailed the strategy. Link looked around, as if searching for something. After a quick moment, his brow furrowed in thought and he looked straight up at Eliana.

_**There you are. What are you doing? You are going to help us out, aren't you?**_

Eliana smiled. There was a great distance between her and the boy. She was pleased that he spotted her so quickly.

_I'll be down in a minute. I was just enjoying the view._

_**You're so cruel, letting all of us do all the talking for you…by the way, your father is on a war path. Might want to stay out of the way for now.**_

Eliana nodded and sent him a mock salute, which he noticed with a frown. He knew she was mocking him. He sighed, defeated.

_**Whatever. Seriously though, we need your help if you'd be so kind as to grace us with your presence. I have to introduce you to Zelda. **_

Eliana sighed, gave one last look at the cavern ceiling, and started to make her way to the Resistance. She was almost there. She was almost free of this façade. She was one step closer to finding him. She knew that he would show up during the battle. That's the thing about being a Hero. You may retire, but you will never lose that desire to help.

Link wanted to introduce her to Zelda. How cute.

She already knew Zelda more than Link would ever know.

* * *

Zelda chewed her lip nervously.

What was it about Eliana that made her so intimidating? It was almost if all of Zelda's ancestors were watching her every move. The older girl seemed so familiar—if Zelda was looking at an older version of herself. It was slightly unsettling. Eliana's aura seemed friendly enough, but…why didn't Zelda trust her completely?

"Zelda?" Eliana asked softly, her blue eyes meeting Zelda's green.

"So, I was thinking that we should lead a secondary attack from the right flank," Zelda said softly. Eliana's presence was making her uncomfortable. It was if she was giving a speech in front of her beloved deceased father or something.

Eliana raised her eyebrows. "Why do you suggest that?"

The other girl wasn't trying to seem critical—at least, Zelda didn't believe she was trying to criticize—but again, Zelda felt as if a load of bricks were on her shoulders. "Well," she started tentatively, "the right side of the hill facing District Five is steeper than the left. Therefore, if we lead an attack on the right side-"

Zelda's cheeks turned pink.

"Isn't that not the best idea?" Link piped up. "Sure, attacking from the right side might catch them off-guard because they're expecting an attack from the left, but our army is hardly trained. It's too difficult for them to scale the rocky side of the mountain, and it's quite silly to-"

Link quickly stopped when he noticed Zelda turning purple.

"Right," he added sheepishly. "I'll leave this to you, then."

Zelda sighed, trying to stop her fingers from shaking.

_My plan was so flawed even Link saw through it. Great._

"The boy makes a valid point," Eliana said, in a type of voice that a teacher would use with a student. "That plan would work great with special forces, but we have an untrained army. They can't handle the right side of the hill. Besides, the army shouldn't be going on the offensive. They are only here to defend."

"I knew that," Zelda said in a huff, attempting to salvage the remainder of her shattered dignity. Eliana sounded…disappointed. Was Zelda not fit to be the Princess of Destiny? Did she let the citizens of Hyrule down?

Eliana sighed, placing a hand on Zelda's shoulder. "Zelda, even if you're flustered, you must never lose your composure. You are the leader of Hyrule. If you panic, your decisions will falter and your followers will panic as well. Even if your back is against the wall, you must never let your people know that."

Zelda opened her mouth to respond that she was fine, thanks, just caught off guard, when another voice cut her off.

"Thanks for your concern, but she's doing just fine."

Zelda knew that voice.

* * *

Midna was not happy.

Who was this little hussy and what gave her the right to lecture _the _Princess of Destiny? Pah. Midna scanned the girl—she refused to refer to the blonde bimbo (yes, she knew the girl was technically a brunette, but blonde bimbo just sounded better than brunette bimbo) as a woman, even if she was actually Midna's age—up and down. Hmm. So this little heffer looked like Princess Zelda. Spooky, but that gave her no right to tell Zelda what to do. And seriously, this chick had to be at least a size H. Her boobs were massive.

Midna was admittedly a little bit jealous.

"And you are?" The girl asked coolly.

Huh. Who did she learn her manners from, Kallah? Didn't these people know it was polite to introduce yourself first? Or at least a 'hey, how are you doing'?

"Her name is Midna," Link cut in, standing in-between the two females and eyeing them nervously.

Aw, Midna wanted to respond to Blondie over there.

"She's wearing an Elite Guard uniform." Blondie narrowed her eyes at Midna, gathering energy in the palms of her hands.

Oh, so the little Missy wanted a fight, eh? Midna grinned, gathering energy in her own fists. This ought to be interesting. Midna was always better at fighting than diplomacy, anyways. Small talk was just a waste of time.

"Wait!" Link cried, waving his hands, pure golden energy forming in his hands as an involuntary reflex. The boy sighed, muttering something about women under his breath and shaking his head. Midna couldn't help but smirk. His resemblance to Kallah was uncanny sometimes.

"Midna, Eliana. Eliana, Midna." Link said, motioning to the two elder females. "Eliana, Midna is on our side. She acts as a spy for us. Midna, this is Eliana. She is the daughter of District Five's mayor and joined the resistance earlier today."

"She's a Shadow Tribe member." Blondie—oh, sorry, _Eliana_—said. Seriously, what was with this chick's manners? She referred to Midna as if the other girl didn't exist. And didn't she know that if you want to find something out, you ask? Still…and Midna didn't really want to admit it, but the girl had some serious skills if she was able to see through Midna's disguise that easily.

"I know," Link said. "But the Shadow Tribe was also Ganondorf's prey. It's time we put our differences aside and work together against a common enemy. Besides…we're working towards a future alliance with the Shadow Tribe, right Zelda?"

Zelda, who seemed to be in a funk up until that moment, nodded, clearing her throat. "Midna has proven to be a valuable ally," she said softly—almost tentatively, which was strange—to Eliana. "She and Kallah have been vital in providing information for the Resistance."

"Kallah?" The harsh look in Eliana's blue eyes softened. Midna frowned.

_Kallah, you little bastard, I swear, if I find out that you slept with all the girls in Hyrule, you're a dead man._

For some reason, women, even brainwashed women, loved Kallah. Maybe it was his devilishly good lucks, powerful spiritual energy, his snarky attitude, or his charisma. It was sickening.

"He's my brother," Link grinned proudly.

Zelda also noticed the change in Eliana's expression. "Do you know him?" she asked the elder girl.

"No," Eliana said softly. "I don't."

Midna didn't like it.

She didn't like it one bit.

* * *

"HOO."

Sheik couldn't resist. Eliana was a babe of all babes. She did look scarily like the princess, except with much larger boobs. Then again, she seemed to be older and his dear princess was surely still developing in the breast department. Last night, Sheik was pretty certain that Link and Zelda started cuddling in their sleep, but he didn't know for sure. He was mostly surprised that Kallah didn't show up at all. Sheik thought Kallah would at least contact them, but nothing. Midna came, though. She said a few regards to Zelda, greeted Eliana, and said something to Link which clearly worried the kid. Sheik hoped nothing happened to Kallah. Kallah's aura was still strong, which indicated that he was alive and well, but…eh. He'd show up when he was needed. That was just how Kallah operated.

Anjean had been pretty quiet. Come to think of it, Byrne was gone too. Sheik assumed that the bad guy was still on Ganondorf's side, but from the way Anjean, Link, and Zelda talked about him it made him seem like a hero. The old woman cuddled what appeared to be a small teddy bear, kissing it gently and assuring the bear that everything would be okay. Why the teddy bear worried was beyond Sheik, but he was sure the bear was merely a symbol of someone.

_That's it, Eliana, lean down a little bit lower…_

Impa slapped him, hard.

"What? She's hot," Sheik grumbled.

"I don't care about your sexual fantasies, but leave the princess and her breast size out of it."

So Impa was reading his spiritual energy that thoroughly, mmm? Maybe she really did care. Maybe she was even jealous. Sheik had to keep himself from laughing aloud. Impa? Jealous? Now that was a humorous thought. He made a mental note to keep that thought for whenever he needed a good laugh.

Seriously, it would be great if Impa cared about Sheik enough to be jealous.

Not like he'd ever tell her that.

He finally tore his eyes away from Eliana and focused on the task at hand. He was supposed to be focusing on the layout of the land or something insignificant like that. Everyone shot down his battle plans, so why bother? His plan was simple: skip the tactical nonsense and just take 'em all out. Sheik looked at the massive army on the hill in front of them. Sure, they were defending, which was a hell of a lot easier than attacking, but they were outnumbered at least 10 to 1. Sheik looked at the leaders. There appeared to be four of them. Two of them were faces he didn't recognize, however, the other two…

One was Midna. She certainly didn't seem to be happy, but a job was a job. They had to know that Midna would be forced to fight them. Oh well, they'd have a play fight, that was okay. Maybe Midna could stand back and give orders. Sheik hoped she didn't have to do too much against her will.

There was Kallah. Finally. He was a few paces away from Midna, who had her eyes trained on him. Kallah didn't seem too pleased either, in fact he looked unhappier than Sheik had ever seen. Link noticed his brother and started to call him before Zelda restrained him, warning Link not to blow Kallah's cover.

The main person, some dude with weird hair and a strangely shaped robe, held up his arm. The battle was about to start.

They were ready.

* * *

Link took a deep breath, focusing his energy in the palms of his hands. The plan was very simple. Do not go on the offensive. Just defend District Five. District Five was located at the bottom of a hill. Originally, Link hoped that they would be the ones at the top of the hill, but that was slightly impossible. Higher ground was always an advantage, but at least defending was easier than attacking. Link came up with the idea to use the hill to their advantage. A first wave of soldiers would come. Link would collapse the ground around them, causing it to sink and blocking the path for the other waves. Obviously they'd find some way to get around the roadblock, but it would be a start.

Link grit his teeth, sending a massive shockwave of his energy. The ground rumbled, unseating much of the stampeding army. One soldier in particular stared at the ground, eyes wide as he realized what the Resistance was doing. He screamed for everyone to fall back, but it was too late. Link pounded his fists together, the earth crumbling beneath the panicking soldier's feet. Yes. Most of Ganondorf's army was stopped by one hit. Link gasped, focusing his energy. Whew. That took a lot out of him. He'd need a couple moments to regain his energy.

Zelda tapped his shoulder, giving him a bit of relief before screaming for the defense to be ready. She knew that stopping those guys was the easy bit. The much more talented soldiers were certainly on their way. Like clockwork, many of the next wave used their energy to blast them into the sky, sending them down at District Five. Impa created her shield, motioning for Link, Sheik, and Eliana to move.

Sheik launched his orange energy at a foe who was attempting to attack Link. Link needed a few more moments to catch his breath, signaling Sheik to protect him. Zelda interrupted, shaking her head at Sheik and motioning for him to go. Sheik hesitated, but Zelda sent out golden energy of her own, protecting Link in a bright golden shield. With Link defended, Sheik nodded, joining Eliana in the fray.

Eliana's aura was a pure blue, similar to Midna's except a little softer in color. She was awfully good, just like Link expected. She used her energy as swords, cutting down every soldier that stood in her path. Link noticed she wasn't hitting vital points, disarming her opponents but careful not to actually kill them. A soldier came in on her. Link started to call out in warning, but Eliana kicked backwards, knowing where he was without even glancing back. Zelda gave a low whistle. Link could tell she was impressed.

Sheik, not to be outdone, decided this time to form his energy like guns, shooting bullets of his aura at his targets, able to down many soldiers at once. After annihilating a small group, he grinned, giving Eliana a thumbs-up. She merely shook her head, a small smile creeping on her face.

Link was glad. Maybe they could fight the battle without relying on the members of District Five.

He had to know that was too good to be true.

The main leader of the opposing forces gave a motion which sent the four generals into action.

Link grit his teeth. That meant Midna and Kallah were about to join the fray. Midna went first, propelling herself across the gap and landing in front of Sheik, getting his attention with a small energy slap that conveniently struck Sheik's buttocks. Link nodded. That would be a good fight. Midna and Sheik always wanted to test each other's skills. Neither would actually injure each other either.

The other leader, a youthful looking man with long hair and crazed eyes, propelled himself in Zelda's direction. Link called out, ready to defend her, but Impa stepped in front of the princess. The two argued for a moment, Impa finally winning and Zelda retreating to defend the rest of the district. With the major generals engaged in battle, the rest of the foot soldiers would attack District Five. Zelda would lead the defense.

Finally, Kallah left his position. Link's brother sent waves of red energy down. Link stood, shaking off Zelda's shield. He would be the one to keep Kallah at bay.

To his surprise, Eliana got there first, sending a wave of blue energy to intercept Kallah's red. She continued to send attacks at him, the attacks becoming so persistent that it piqued Kallah's interest. He engaged her in battle, and the two moved away from the battlefield a bit so they could have a proper fight.

No. This couldn't happen. Because Kallah never stopped by last night, Eliana didn't know who he was. She didn't know that Kallah was on their side. Sure, Zelda mentioned him, but she didn't know what he looked like. This was bad. Not that Link expected Kallah to lose, even to a powerful user like Eliana, but still. He went to stop the fight before the main leader sent a black wave at him. Link had no choice but to intercept.

Oh well. He'd have to finish this battle quickly. Then he could concentrate on helping Kallah.

* * *

Kallah launched his red aura at the girl who intercepted his attacks. Although he originally intended to go after Zelda in order to protect her, this other female attacked him with such vigor that Kallah couldn't ignore it. She seemed determined to fight him. Between the attacks, Kallah made out her figure.

He gasped.

She looked exactly like the woman who appeared to him yesterday.

_I knew you once._

Caught off guard, the girl's aura slammed into an unsuspecting Kallah, knocking him to the ground. Kallah winced as if a thousand tons of pressure was placed on his chest, crushing his ribs into thousands of little pieces. Ouch. Her energy could rival Zelda herself. She looked shocked, running to him in worry.

"Kallah!" Midna's panicked voice also cut in. She angrily sent a wave of her blue energy, not unlike the color of the girl's, and jumped to defend him. Kallah could hear her worried thoughts. She was wondering why he let his guard down and why he allowed himself to be hit.

"Your opponent is me," Midna growled, hands lit ablaze with blue fury. "I won't let anyone lay a hand on him." Sheik came over, a bit offended that Midna cut their battle short, but shrugged his shoulders and attacked Kallah. The attack was not to injure, merely to startle. They had a reputation to uphold, after all. Kallah regained his breath and jumped out of the way, shocked at the searing sensation in his ribcage. Yikes. He collapsed quickly, clutching his chest.

"I'm going to kill you!" Sheik yelled aloud, although his spiritual energy said something else entirely.

_**Are you okay?**_

Midna, knowing that Sheik wouldn't hurt Kallah, made no motion to stop him, her attention completely focused on the girl in front of her. Kallah couldn't shake the feeling that he knew that woman.

He couldn't shake the feeling that girl was his Zelda.

* * *

_Like hell I'll let you hurt him._

Midna growled, surprised at her own anger. She hadn't felt this angry since Ganondorf betrayed and executed her entire clan in front of her eyes. How did Kallah allow himself to be hit with such a powerful shot?

Midna knew she didn't trust that bitch. They were supposed to be on the same team. Sure, she didn't actually meet Kallah, but Eliana knew of them. Hell, that shift in Eliana's eyes…she _had_ to know who Kallah was. Link said Eliana could be trusted, but Link was too trusting by nature. Midna didn't trust this pretty little bimbo around her Kallah one bit. Even if Kallah was stupid enough to let himself get hit, what the hell was she doing sending a real attack at him?

To her credit, Eliana was crying and appeared to be devastated by her actions. Maybe she didn't know that her power was so strong or that Kallah wouldn't defend himself. Still, shame on her. Midna wiped any thought of sympathy from her mind. If she wanted to play rough, well then, rough was how it would be.

_**Is he okay?**_

That was Eliana's spiritual energy. Midna almost ignored it. Given his labored breathing and the fact he'd barely moved since getting hit, Midna assumed Kallah had broken ribs, potentially even a punctured lung. Sure, he'd live, but getting out of this battle if someone attacked him for real could be tough.

_What's it to you?_

Midna made sure her voice was antagonizing. Eliana chewed at her lip, tears still streaming down her face. She held up her arms, indicating to Midna that she had no intentions of fighting.

Oh, now she wanted to play nice. Too bad. Midna had no tolerance for traitors. She sent a wave of her energy at Eliana, infuriated that their spiritual energies were so close in color. There was no way that Midna was anything like Eliana. She would never betray her friends.

She would never betray Kallah.

Eliana dodged, bringing up her defenses reluctantly. Midna could hear the internal struggle—Eliana made no attempt to hide it—she kept trying to tell Midna that it was an accident and that she would never, ever try to hurt Kallah. She assumed that Kallah would have defended himself.

Yeah, Kallah was an idiot, but still. She should not have attacked him with her full strength.

Midna lunged at Eliana, going after the girl's right arm. She defended, moving to kick Midna. Midna jumped back, creating a haze. The Shadow Tribe girl could hear Eliana coughing and struggling to determine Midna's current position. Huh. Looks like pretty girl wasn't as good with spiritual energy as Midna had assumed.

There she was.

Midna jumped, going for a direct shot at Eliana's arm.

Just as she was about to make impact, a red light shot from the west.

* * *

Kallah grimaced. The last thing he wanted to do was move. What other choice did he have? He wasn't expecting Midna to freak out at the girl like that. Sure, Midna never really thought and reacted only on emotions, but come on.

Midna gasped, instantly recognizing his energy and pulling back, retracting her cloud of haze.

_**Kallah…**_

_It was an accident. She meant me no harm. Now go cool your jets and have a mock battle with Sheik. He's a little offended that you hung him out to dry like that._

Midna shook her head, refusing to budge an inch. Kallah sighed, despite the pain it caused. Women. They could just be so darn stubborn sometimes.

Come to think of it, shouldn't he be mad at the girl too? She did attack him with her full energy. Apparently, given Midna's anger, they were supposed to be allies. Oh, that's right. She was the girl that joined their team last night. Hey, how was Kallah supposed to know? He wasn't there and Midna only mentioned it in passing.

He was preoccupied, okay? It's not every day when you're forced to kill a good man and then learn you're a reincarnation of a famous hero.

He couldn't be angry at the young woman. She looked panicked and clearly distressed that he was hurt. Besides, that nagging feeling would not subside. He needed to know.

_Get out of here, Midna. That's an order._

Technically, Kallah was Midna's superior in battles. He vowed to her that he'd only officially order her when he meant business. True, he never expected to use his authority this early in the game, but then again, he didn't know what to expect in general.

She opened her mouth to refuse, finally giving up and sighing. Kallah could tell that she was hurt. Not physically, but emotionally. He looked downcast, not wanting to meet her eyes. He was tired of hurting her.

But how could he leave Zelda? Besides, what if she was here, right now, and right in front of him?

Kallah sluggishly made his way over to the other girl, collapsing as his breath left him. She caught him, pulling him into a gentle embrace.

_I've felt like this before._

"Link…"

Kallah felt something damp touch his face. He reached up, feeling the small teardrop. She was crying, tears streaming from her beautiful blue eyes. Her long brown hair gently brushed against his weary body. She wasn't exactly the same as he remembered, but there was no doubt.

"Zelda," he responded softly.

Zelda cried aloud, embracing him tighter and burying her face in his shoulder. He could feel her body wracked by sobs. He weakly returned her embrace.

"It's okay."

She sniffled, wiping a tear and smiling brightly at him.

"I know," she said. "I've been waiting so long to hear you say those words again. I'm so glad…I'm so glad that you finally remember me now."

Kallah gently wiped a tear from her eyes, nuzzling her gently like he always used to. She rubbed his back, searching for his broken ribs. Kallah guessed she was trying to heal him. He smiled, gently bringing her hands away from his injuries and shaking his head lightly. She would use up too much energy healing him.

He smiled. Of course. His Zelda was beyond stubborn and probably didn't stop pestering the Goddesses until she was reincarnated as well. However, she too did not possess the same amount of power as she used to. Kallah was pleased, though. She was definitely strong enough to hold her own in a fight. He wouldn't have to worry about her too much. For a moment, he just closed his eyes and breathed in her sweet scent, a delicate flowery fragrance. The chaos from the battlefield, the cries from soldiers and the clang of steel, faded as he was lost in his paradise.

An angry cry jerked him back to reality. That was Midna, getting far too into her battle with Sheik. Kallah could tell from her spiritual energy that Midna was depressed beyond consolation.

He figured he might have had something to do with that.

Just with that thought, his paradise faded. What was he going to do about Midna? Rather, how did he feel about her? Why did he still feel such strong feelings of passion while the woman he loved was sitting right in front of him?

"You love her, don't you," Zelda whispered quietly as if she could hear his thoughts. Knowing Zelda, she probably didn't have to use her spiritual energy. Zelda knew him better than she knew herself. She could pick up on his slightest cues. That was what happened when you spent thousands of years together.

"Love is a strong word," he responded, kissing her lightly on the cheek. "I do know that Link loves you."

Zelda frowned. "What do you mean? Your brother likes his Zelda, not me."

Kallah laughed lightly, grimacing from the strain. "I was referring to me," he said with a wink. "I, Link, the Original Hero, love you very much."

"Stop being silly and referring to yourself in the third person," Zelda chided, tapping him playfully on the nose as she always used to when Kallah said something stupid.

Kallah wasn't referring to himself in the third person, at least, that was not his intent. He decided to drop the issue, now wasn't the time. Besides, if he stayed in Zelda's arms any longer there was a possibility someone would find out that wasn't supposed to. A sharp pain in his chest reminded him of his condition. It hurt just to breathe. He was pretty certain he had a punctured lung. Though the other lung was managing just fine, he'd have to retreat from battle and heal himself. It was a shame, he'd wanted to stay and watch Link grow. He shook his head. No matter. Link would surely impress him another time.

"Sorry," He responded. "By the way, what's your name? I can't call you Zelda 'cause there already is one in this time."

Zelda smiled, brushing loose strands of Kallah's bangs off his forehead. "My name is Eliana. I am the daughter of District Five's mayor. I joined the Resistance yesterday in order to find you."

Kallah returned her smile, playing with her brown locks before releasing himself from the embrace and standing. He gave a low bow.

"My lady Eliana. My name is Kallah and I am a member of the Resistance. I am honored that you have chosen to fight by our side."

She curtseyed, although she seemed a bit confused. Kallah gave her a wink and a small salute. There was a certain fire queen that needed cooling down.

"Link!" Zelda called after him. She ran to Kallah, embracing him and kissing him gently on his back. "Don't. Please don't leave me."

"The Link you search for is no longer here," Kallah responded delicately. "My name is Kallah, son of Knight Erheart and the Lady Aria. I have a younger brother named Link. It is my duty to protect him."

"That's not true!" Eliana-he'd already begun to think of her as Eliana—cried, grabbing his shirt so tightly the fabric crumpled in her grasp. "Your name is Link! You are the Original Hero! You are my husband! This Kallah person…this isn't you! It's who the Goddesses forced you to be!"

"Eliana," he whispered, taking her hands in his and ignoring her pleas for him to call her Zelda. "Yes, in one lifetime, my name was Link. I was a great Hero who saved Hyrule. I was your husband and your King. I assure you, the times I shared with you were the happiest of all my memories. However…I am now Kallah. When the time comes when Kallah ceases to exist, I am sure I will be able to stand by your side again. For now, I ask that you treat me as a comrade and comrade only."

"No," she whispered, pulling back. Her lips quavered, fighting for the words to say. For a moment, Kallah was afraid she was just going to let him have it. However, her anger vanished, leaving only emptiness. "I thought I found you. I thought I was finally going to be reunited with the man I love. For a moment, my entire world was right again. But ultimately, I was wrong. You are not my husband."

"No," Kallah agreed sadly. "No, I'm not." He gave a polite bow, stumbling away as if drunk. For some reason, his entire equilibrium was off. Did broken ribs really mess him up that bad? Maybe it was the lack of oxygen. Maybe it was his emotions. Kallah couldn't really tell at that moment. That was the shitty thing about emotions. He rarely got to show them due to the society he lived in, and that caused his emotions to be uncontrollable.

"Link!" A call came. Eliana ran to him, throwing her arms around him and touching her forehead against his. "Please…" she kissed him deeply. Kallah returned her kiss, pulling her close to him. When the kiss was over, he leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"Wait for me."

"Always," she responded, nuzzling him one more time before letting him go.

The fog around them dissipated into nothing. Huh, what was with the change of weather? Most likely Eliana put the layer of fog out as a shield to protect them from nosy onlookers. She was already gone, moving to attack more of Ganondorf's army.

Kallah groaned, unable to keep up the act. He collapsed against one of the Resistance's protective walls. He felt his energy leaving him, partially due to the injury and partially due to leaving Eliana behind. He had to refer to her as Eliana. He couldn't be with her now. Besides, just as he was Kallah, she was also Eliana. She had to have people in this lifetime that she cared about too, right?

"You stupid, moronic, stubborn pretty boy," a harsh but familiar voice snarled.

Midna.

Midna's embrace was much different than Eliana's. The Fire Queen was rough and shook Kallah, but for some reason, Midna's embrace was just as pleasant. He felt protected in her arms. Her piercing hair and eyes were completely opposite than Eliana's, but she was just as beautiful.

Was it possible to love two women at once?

"Midna," he croaked out.

"What? Depressed that it isn't lovely Eliana?" She clearly didn't forget what happened earlier. Kallah didn't blame her. She had to be pissed off that he defended Eliana. The jealousy was obvious, though. It was kind of nice.

"Maybe," he admitted. "But you'll have to do."

Despite his injuries, he'd never been so happy to be slapped in his life.

* * *

**Ah. You all know how I love my perfect ending lines, even though this chapter easily could have been about another 15 pages longer. :P Oh well, we'll save that for the next chapter and the other half of the battle where we catch up with Zelda and Link. xD I've noticed that I've been neglecting our Princess of Destiny. Hmm. That will change. xD**

**There's something off about this chapter and I don't know what. I originally wrote most of this the same day I wrote the last chapter I posted, but I was determined to fix it for months until I finally decided to leave it be after adding in a scene or two. Hope it's not obvious that parts of this were written months apart. It's really bugging me though. :P**

**There's some slight foreshadowing of some major conflicts in this chappie, cookies if you were able to spot them. :D Let me just say this: I have plans for Eliana, who's more than a little miffed right now. xD**

**Thank you so much for being such loyal readers with this lazy author. xD Please PM me whenever you'd like to give me a nudge or talk about this story. Happy to get back into the swing of things! I'd much rather be writing this than a senior research thesis on international apologies. Yes, you read that right. :P**

**Thank you so much and I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	11. Killer

**I am an evil, evil author.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did… xD  
**_**Ascension **_**is rated "T" for mild language and violence. Though I may have to bump up the rating after this chapter. If you think this should be "M", let me know. I'm a horrible judge of these things. xD**

* * *

_**Killer**_

"My lord, the battle isn't necessarily progressing as planned…"

Ganondorf could only pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration. Just how incompetent were these buffoons? How hard was it to destroy a district of old women and children? Sure, the members of Resistance were there, but there were what, three of them? Sure, apparently the Mayor's little girl joined the battle, but his highly skilled soldiers were being thwarted by a bunch of women and old men using pointers as spears. It was embarrassing to say the least. He leaned back in his chair, sighing deeply and taking another sip of his delectable venomous wine. How refreshing. He thought about calling The Observer, but Kallah should already be…

Kallah. Ganondorf wondered how the boy was doing.

In normal circumstances, Ganondorf would just send Ghirahim out there and call it a day (besides, then the narcissistic babbling idiot would be out of sight for a few hours) but he didn't want to send out his best commander for a mere squabble like this. It would be too big of a blow to his pride.

"Aw, are your little minions not getting the job done?"

Ganondorf sighed again, clenching his fist on his rustic antique chair that he pillaged from District Four during the invasion and not bothering to look in the direction of the new voice.

"It's not your time yet," Ganondorf said, taking another deep sip of his drink. He appreciated his counterpart's enthusiasm, he had a penchant for bloodlust, but no, it wasn't time yet. He would only send his greatest weapon in if it was absolutely necessary.

And if it ever proved to be absolutely necessary, there would be hell to pay.

* * *

_**Link…Kallah and I are retreating.**_

That was Midna's energy. Link tried not to let Midna's news interrupt his battle with the enemy commander. The blue dude was apparently named Zant. Surprisingly, Link assumed that Zant was a Twili, not unlike Midna. However, Zant made no effort to hide his obviously blue skin like Midna did. But didn't, y'know, Ganondorf wipe out all of the Twili? Hmm. He'd have to ask Kallah about it later.

But seriously, it was really hard to have a conversation while he was fighting. Link kicked backwards, sending a wave of spiritual energy through his feet with a sigh. Didn't the enemy know it was rude to attack someone during a conversation? Really. Manners these days.

_Why's that?_

Link hoped his message didn't sound too winded, because man, this guy wasn't difficult or anything, but he was a royal pain in the ass. His attacks weren't exactly the strongest, but repetitive. Link could hardly catch his breath.

_**I'm tired.**_

Link groaned, slapping his face in frustration as he fended off another attack with his other hand. Seriously. This guy's attacks weren't strong at all, but annoying. Link considered just slamming him with a huge energy ball and ending this pointless duel. Not to toot his own horn, but Link was in a whole different league than this guy.

Wow. Link smiled to himself, almost yawning as he easily defended himself from yet another attack. He could easily defeat one of Ganondorf's head honchos with no problem whatsoever. If it wasn't for Link's pesky habit of playing down to his opponent's strength, this would have already been over.

It was an amazing feeling. Slightly terrifying, yes, but amazing.

_Got tired of battling Sheik?_

Concentrating on Midna's message—he could afford to, it wasn't not like Zant was difficult or anything—he noticed something was a bit off with the shadow user. She seemed…worried. Worried? About what? And why hadn't Kallah contacted him?

_Kallah!_

Link's eyes widened, ignoring Zant completely and frantically scanning the area for any sign of his brother. Kallah was nowhere in sight. Link sent desperate messages to Kallah, hoping that his brother was all right. What could have, rather, _who _could have injured him?

_**I can't hide anything from you, can I? He's fine, you little worrywart. Just a little winded from the battle, so we're gonna call it a day. We'll contact you later.**_

_Midna, wait a minute, you can't just…_

Link could tell from her energy that she—and Kallah, presumably—was gone. Link sighed, subconsciously blocking attacks from Zant. Wow, he was getting so good he didn't even have to think about blocking. Link couldn't help but grin. It was time to end this petty charade, wasn't it?

Facing Zant with a smile on his face, Link released a massive burst of pure golden light.

The enemy commander was knocked off his feet and lay on the mountainside, body trembling with frantic spasms. Link guessed he had some internal damage. The Hero's Courage power was light and pure in nature, so Link couldn't really kill someone unless he tried. Besides, Link almost pitied the man.

_Well, that was easy. I should have done that from the start._

Rubbing his hands together to shake off any loose dirt, Link stretched. It was time he went to assist Zelda.

* * *

His counterpart suppressed a snort.

Ganondorf was not amused.

He was not amused at all.

Could a little _boy _be so powerful? While Zant wasn't the strongest fighter in the world, he wasn't weak either. Or was he? Ganondorf frowned, tapping his fingers on his chair. Zant was weak. A pitiful creature who couldn't do anything right to save his life. Ganondorf grit his teeth. The thing was, although he'd never admit it, Zant was one of his strongest soldiers. So why did the boy defeat him so early? Had he underestimated the child's power? No, that wasn't it. He underestimated the power of the Hero's Courage.

His entire army would need an overhaul. His only soldier that could match the faux hero was Kallah, and he doubted at this stage he'd have enough influence to convince Kallah to face little Linky boy in battle. He didn't even have the confidence that Ghirahim would best the little brat into submission.

Well, there was one other soldier…

"I could take him."

Yes, Ganondorf had no doubt of that. His most perfect killing machine was far more powerful than even Kallah. But no, Ganondorf didn't want to cut him off his leash yet. It wasn't time yet. He didn't want to reveal his trump card until later. But what was the point of saving your trump card for a later hand if you didn't even beat this one? Ganondorf would have to create better soldiers, that was certain. But for now…

"Very well," Ganondorf said. "You may go."

In the shadows behind him, piercing blue eyes shot open.

* * *

"Link!"

Zelda was surprised to see the young hero. Happy, of course, that he seemed to be alive and well, but slightly confused. Did he already defeat the enemy's commander? That didn't seem possible.

"Yup," Link said as if he read her mind, "He was actually kind of a letdown."

Zelda gasped. She was soaked in a sheen of sweat, panting like mad and Link was barely even breathing hard as he fired away. It was like the fatigue of the first earthquake was completely gone. Standing there, defeating enemies left and right, with a certain golden aura about him, Link really did look like the Hero. She smiled despite the situation.

_You've grown so much in a couple of days. I can't believe only yesterday you won your first battle. I'm so proud of you, Link. You really are the Hero._

An enemy came from her right, one that Zelda didn't notice as she was lost in her thoughts. A blue streak whizzed by her and defeated the soldier in one blow.

"Need some assistance?" Eliana asked. Zelda noticed that the older girl looked tired, and more than that…sad. She made a mental note to ask the female warrior later. Zelda chewed her lip thoughtfully. What was going on during this battle? It was amazing how battles changed people. She supposed that made sense, but seeing everyone filled with so many emotions and changing in front of her eyes…it seemed a little surreal.

"Find what you were looking for?" Link asked, giving Eliana a bright smile as he defeated a band of soldiers without even looking.

Eliana smiled sadly, joining him by Zelda's side and using her sabers to fend off the enemy's attacks. "Nope, not yet," she said.

Zelda had no idea what they were talking about, but she figured she should worry about them later. There were thousands of soldiers and while they weren't doing too badly this battle was going to last forever at this rate. However, since Link seemed to be in such good shape…

"Link, can you create another earthquake on the left flank?" She asked.

Eliana raised her eyebrow, surveyed the area, before a small smile crept on her face. "Very interesting, Zelda. You want to kill two birds with one stone. Force them to attack us from one side and wipe out half their army to boot."

"That's the general idea," Zelda panted, raising her shield to protect Link.

Link smiled, patting her on the shoulder and knelt down, pounding his fist into the ground that sent a shockwave rippling through everyone's toes. This earthquake was even more powerful than the last one and effectively wiped out half the army's fleet. Zelda nearly jumped up and down like a schoolgirl if it wasn't for the horrific spectacle. Most of the army would live, and she was consoled in that. After all, the army wasn't exactly the enemy, as they were all innocent soldiers that were used as pawns by Ganondorf. She wanted to save them too.

"How's that?" Link said in-between gasps of air, smiling at her.

"I thought it was very lovely," a new voice interjected.

Zelda couldn't conceal her gasp. A new enemy? But when? But _how_? She didn't sense him coming and she was pretty certain Link and Eliana didn't notice him either. Zelda forced herself to focus, trying to get a read on their newcomer's spiritual energy. She grit her teeth, concentrating.

_Who are you?_

Zelda reached out with her spiritual energy, probing the heart and soul of their unexpected visitor. Who was he? Why was he here? She closed her eyes as she flirted with the surface, attempting to go deeper…

Zelda was physically thrown backwards as she dug deeper. She could see nothing, nothing about a pit, a dark black abyss filled with nothing but pain, suffering, and death. Tears came to her eyes from the emotional strain. That…soldier, if she dared call him that. He was no man. He was a machine.

"Zelda!" Link cried. "Why, you…" She could hear Link's frustration and desperation as he lunged towards the newcomer.

"No! Link…please…" Zelda croaked out, still weak from the emotional turmoil. She felt so empty, so alone. It was part of her power, as the Princess of Destiny, to feel the emotions of others. She saw her power as a gift, as she could understand where someone was coming from. At the same time, the emotional pain of others often threatened to destroy her.

"Zelda!" Eliana knelt beside Zelda, taking her hand and pulling the young Princess close. Zelda could feel the elder girl transferring some of her power into Zelda, attempting to soothe the girl's pain. Zelda wanted to tell Link to stop, to not face that monster, but no words came out. She couldn't stop the tears streaming down her face. She couldn't stop her limbs from shaking. She just lay in a coffin of fear.

"You bastard," she heard Link growl. She'd never heard him sound so angry. "What are you doing, hurting her!? What kind of monster are you?"

"Simple," the Other responded. "I'm you."

* * *

_**I'm you.**_

Link froze, paralyzed with shock. All the confidence and empowerment he felt only moments ago were lost. His drive, his desire to protect his beloved Zelda, dissipated into nothing as he could only stare at the person—dare he refer to him as a person?—before him.

Standing before him was a young man, hair dirty blond like a wheat field, piercing eyes bluer than the clearest sea clothed in a dark black material. Link could only stare. If he didn't know better, he'd say the man was Kallah. At the same time, if he didn't know better, he'd say the man was him.

"Link?" Eliana asked quietly. "Link? Is that you? No, it can't be…"

"That's…not…Link…" Zelda choked out between pained sobs. "That…can't…be…"

Eliana shushed her as the other _soldier_—Link couldn't bear to think of that guy as either him or Kallah—laughed, a hollow sound. He grinned, eyes brimming with bloodlust, as he picked up a traditional sword that one of the District Five soldiers left behind. The Other observed the sword, licking the crimson blood off the blade. He turned to Link, sword drawn.

"Are you going to face me, little hero?"

His voice was hollow and devoid of emotion, filled with insanity and madness. Link considered probing his spiritual defenses but didn't dare after seeing what happened to Zelda. Link wanted to be strong. He wanted to protect himself.

_Move, Link. You posses the Hero's Courage, for cryin' out loud. You beat Zant no sweat. Why are you so worried? You can do this!_

No. Even Link's thoughts were empty. He tried to motivate himself, but he was paralyzed. Not from fatigue, not from pain, but from fear. It was a fear unlike any he'd felt before. There was no doubt that the person standing before him was in fact human, but he didn't possess a human heart.

And Byrne thought he was a monster.

"Link," Eliana hissed. "Ignore him. We've almost won the battle. Focus on that for now."

Beside her, Zelda continued to try to call for Link, unable to speak as she was constantly overwhelmed by various emotions. Link grit his teeth, staring at his fist. Zelda was in so much pain. She was suffering. So why couldn't Link face this guy? Was Link a coward?

No. Never. Link may be a lot of things, but he certainly wasn't cowardly.

"I have to face him," Link said quietly to Eliana, ignoring both girls' protests. "Finish the battle without me. I'll catch up to you." He winced at the sound of the hollow laughter that ensued.

Did he think he could defeat the monster that stood before him? No, not at all. But he had to try. He'd certainly fare a lot better than anyone else. With Zelda out of action, Eliana needed to get her out of the front lines stat. Impa and Sheik could finish wrapping up the small fry. If Link let this bastard run free…

The Resistance would never win.

"I'm your opponent," Link said, hoping he sounded stronger than he felt. Amazing how the tide of battle could change in an instant.

"Of course you are," the Other responded. "I'm so generous; I'm going to let those little ladies flee for their lives before I start attacking you. They've got five seconds. One, two, three…"

Eliana ignored Zelda's objections as she teleported them out on the count of four. Link breathed a sigh of relief. Actually, he'd been too preoccupied to notice it before, but all of the enemies they'd been fighting were gone. Link glanced from side to side, searching for someone and he found no one. He was alone with this creep.

"Are you scared, little Hero?" The Other cackled in a condescending voice, eyes glittering with belittlement and a twisted sense of amusement. Before Link knew it, the Other was right in front of his face, stroking Link's cheek. Link stared straight into the Other's eyes. They were Kallah's eyes. They were his eyes.

"Get away from me!" Link screamed, a golden wall of energy surrounding him in an instant. He gasped in a panic, wondering how the Other got so close so quickly, frantically searching everywhere for a sign. Did he defeat the Other?

A sharp cackle affirmed Link's fears. Of course not. That would be too easy. Link raised his hands, shocked that he was still trembling. It wasn't fatigue. He was terrified. Something about the Other scared Link to his very core. Was it the Other's spiritual energy? All Link felt was pain, suffering, death, and all forms of torture emanating from the hollow shell that possessed his and his brothers' faces.

Could that thing really be him?

"Too slow," a whisper from his left came. Link gasped, attempting to react in time, but he was too late. A sharp pain erupted from his right shoulder blade. Link couldn't conceal his cry of pain, collapsing to the ground in agony. He couldn't believe it. A blow to the shoulder shouldn't hurt that much. Yet, for some reason, his entire body seized in anguish, a black electric shock coursing through his body. Link tried not to cry out in pain—he hated showing weakness, especially to this freak—but the pain was too immense the young hero couldn't stand it.

Again the hollow laugh came, the sound burning Link's ears as the Other knelt down beside the young Hero, caressing his face in a mocking manner. He leaned down and licked the blood out of the gaping hole in Link's right shoulder. Link resisted all urges to scream. He fought the tears that threatened to fall. He wouldn't give in, not to this monster.

"Do you know why I like using traditional swords?" The Other whispered with a false sense of gentleness. Using his elbow to dig into Link's ribcage, the other prodded Link's right arm with the tip of his blade. Link bit down on his lip so hard that blood dribbled down his face. The Other continued to stab Link with his blade over and over, so much in one area that Link lost all sensation in his right arm. When he was done the Other wiped the blood off of Link's chin, tasting it and relishing in its delectability. When Link gave no answer to his question, the Other screeched with demented hilarity, sending waves of black energy down his blade.

Black energy? Link's eyes bulged in surprise. He'd never even heard of black spiritual energy, let alone witnessed it. According to Zelda, having purely black energy was nearly impossible. Why, the answer wasn't sure, but it was just…impossible.

"I like using swords because it's so much more entertaining," the Other grinned, sending his midnight black sword into Link's torso. Link again felt a searing pain wrack his body, the pain so unbearable it was if a million needles were digging into his flesh at the same time. Link choked on his crimson blood, forcing to keep his eyes open.

_Am I dying?_

No. He couldn't die. He had so much left he had to do. He had so many people he needed to protect. Zelda, Kallah, Sheik, Impa, Midna…

With a surge of desire, Link's golden energy was enough to force the Other off of him. The Other laughed in amusement—when was he not?—picking up another sword beside him.

"You're so entertaining, little Hero."

Link's body was ablaze with golden fire, as he desperately tried to heal his wounds. He couldn't. His resources were not depleted, no, he sensed he still had energy left, but his emotional and mental state was so unstable. He didn't know what to do. He was about to die. He couldn't die, no, it wasn't supposed to end like this.

What did he do when he was scared? Who did he always turn to?

_KALLAH!_

* * *

"Link!"

Kallah jerked awake, wincing at the burning pain in his chest. He gasped, wiping off beads of perspiration. What a nightmare. Link, his baby brother, was lying on the ground with a massive hole in his torso, staining the grass crimson as a monster that looked eerily like himself tortured him with a sword. Kallah wiped sleep out of his eyes. Thank god it was just a nightmare.

"Kallah!" Midna shoved him down. "What the hell are you doing, sitting up? Do you know how long it took me to bandage your chest? Show some gratitude once in awhile!"

Kallah heard her, but at the same time, his mind was somewhere else. A nightmare. That's all that it was. No one used swords these days. Besides, that…_thing _attacking Link looked too creepily like a hybrid of him and Link. That wasn't possible. Yet…

_**KALLAH! HELP ME! PLEASE…SAVE ME…KALLAH!**_

A couple of years ago, when he was snooping around the Academy Headmaster's office, he saw something about "Project Kira". Apparently, shortly after the war began, Ganondorf created some sort of genetic monster that would eventually grow into the perfect weapon. He didn't think much about it at the time, but what if…

Kallah's eyes bulged. How could he be so stupid!? How could he…

Midna barely had time to ask what was wrong before Kallah dissipated into thin air.

* * *

Kallah materialized on the stone overlooking the battlefield. The first thing he noticed was that there were no soldiers. Where were they? Was the battle over? Kallah didn't recall anyone saying anything about the battle's conclusion, but then again, he was unconscious for the past few hours. He sensed the malicious presence immediately. Gritting his teeth, he sent a wave of his own crimson energy towards the presence.

"Oh now, isn't that sweet? Big brother came to defend his widdle baby bwother," a taunting voice said in a sing-songy voice. Kallah narrowed his eyes. Sure enough, it was the wackjob clone from his nightmare. That meant his nightmare wasn't just a nightmare after all, which also meant…

"Link!" Kallah gasped, materializing instantly by his sides. Bless his heart, Link was doing everything not to cry despite his mangled state, his body half destroyed as the ground he lay on was stained a cold, blood red. Link trembled in his arms, desperately trying to say something as no words, only blood, came out. Pressing a gentle kiss to Link's forehead, whispered soft words of comfort as he gently laid his brother back down on the ground, getting up to face the crazy bastard. Kallah felt his eyes turn crimson, unable to control the anger that was boiling inside of him.

"I'll kill you," Kallah said in a low voice, shocked at how devoid of emotion his voice was. He winced at how similar he sounded to Crazy over there.

"Huh," the Other sighed, placing his hands on his hips. "I didn't want to fight you, big brother. After all, aren't we supposed to be on the same side?"

Kallah wasn't even thinking about that. So what if Nutso turned him into Ganondorf right now. He didn't give two shits. All he cared about was repaying the bastard tenfold for torturing his little brother.

"Oh, I'm not going to tell His Majesty," the Other grinned. "Because not telling him is just so much fun."

Kallah said nothing, choosing to let his actions speak for his words and lighting his hands ablaze with crimson fire. He shot a blast at the Other, who dodged it with ease. Kallah didn't even notice his broken ribs. That didn't matter in the moment.

"Kallah…please…" Kallah grit his teeth at the sound of Link's choked coughing as the young Hero tried to speak.

"Fine," the Other side. "I guess I'll be going now. I had a lot of fun playing with you, little Hero." He turned to leave before one of Kallah's red streams of light shot past his face. The Other chortled, holding his hand up to block the ensuing attacks with ease.

"You're not going anywhere, Kira," Kallah growled.

"Oh? You know my name? What a sneaky boy," Kira smiled. "Hmm, maybe I'll get to play with you later." He winked at Kallah, giving a childish wave before he dissipated into nothing.

Kallah collapsed to the ground, breathing hard as he forced his emotions to calm. Rage, uncontrollable rage at the sight of Link's mangled body, coursed within him. With a pained scream that echoed throughout the mountain valley, Kallah released a massive amount of crimson energy that lit up the sky.

District Five's army cheered as the saw the red fireworks, a sign of their victory.

* * *

**WHOA. I'm kinda shocked I wrote that, especially since I am in an extremely good mood today. xD So District Five has won the battle! (Well…you can debate whether it was a victory or not. ;))**

**Fun fact: The name "Kira" comes from the word "killer". In Japan, as many of you may know, they don't have an "l", as their "r" is a mixture of an "l" and "r" and is Romanized as an "r". So, "Ki-ra" is how a Japanese person would pronounce and write "killer" in katakana/romaji. :D It also has another meaning which Midna will tell us about in a later chapter. xD (Yes, his appearance is based off of WiiU Super Smash Bros. Link. xD)**

**Every hero has his rival…the cover will be updated as we now have three, yes, **_**three**_** Links. xD Because two weren't confusing enough. xD I always liked the number three. :P **

**Please leave me a review! I'd love to hear your thoughts. I hope this came as a change of pace and/or surprise. xD **


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